Changed Fate
by Ginzuishou1
Summary: Escaping the 30th century, the Black Moon at her heels, Chibi-Usa calls for her mother and finds her: searching for the Nijizuishou, fighting the Dark Kingdom. The Senshi band together with Tuxedo Mask, but they can't hold both enemies on their own. The time some thought they had begins to run out, and through it all Usagi and Mamoru attempt to begin their romance
1. Wait, What? And HOW?

Alright, so, it's been a few years but I'm back with a new story. I've already got quite a bit of it written, but I'll be posting roughly once a week.

Summary: Escaping the 30th century, the Black Moon at her heels, Chibi-Usa calls for her mother and finds her: searching for the Nijizuishou and fighting the Dark Kingdom. The Senshi band together with Tuxedo Mask, but they can't hold both enemies on their own. The time some thought they had begins to run out, and through it all Usagi and Mamoru attempt to begin, or is it rekindle, their romance.

So here's the notes you can feel free to skip, but it'll explain my mash up on things. I'm following the 90's anime – but there's going to be overtones of the manga/Crystal. Mamoru is 17, not in college, he's attending Motto Azabu just like in the manga. Because yeah. Yeah. As the summary says, Chibi-Usa lands in the wrong time, so a lot of things change, which makes friendships and how people meet change. So some of this is me answering the question of what happens when you start your friendships and enemies differently. And some personalities are more based on manga.

And then you have Minako who is just...Minako.

I am following the manga's timeline for the first three series (right now I don't know if I'm doing two or three series!). Sailor Moon started in April 1992, we're going to be starting in early June 1992 with four Senshi and Mamoru, who has always known he is Tuxedo Mask.

Aaaaand, yes Chibi-Usa is a little snot for pulling a gun on Usagi. I mean...what the hell? But I think she always knew that Usagi and Mamoru were her parents (at least in the manga, not sure about the 90's anime?) but it wasn't until later that she realized they were Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. But, different meetings, different circumstances, can you change fate?

Hey, let's find out.

 **CHANGED FATE**

 **Chapter 1/?**

 **"Wait, What? And HOW?"**

It was Taboo. She knew this, she wasn't stupid, or ignorant of the Laws.

Maybe she was crazy, though. This was so dangerous. She fought the winds and the storms and just held herself in as tightly as possible. She couldn't cry. Her mother wouldn't want her to cry. She had to go somewhere safe. Somewhere she could be near her mother and father; somewhere she could find the most powerful Senshi.

Sailor Moon.

Yes. Papa had always said it: Sailor Moon would always help someone.

No matter what.

OoOoO

"So, they're like really out to enslave the world, steal our energy, in a world-ending type thing?" Mako asked as their mission was explained to her, clarified for the others.

"Unfortunately, that does seem to be their goal," Luna answered. "But that's why there are Senshi like you to stop it, Mako-chan!"

Sailor Jupiter was the newest addition to the team, as Kino Makoto, much to Usagi's pleasure. They had found the first Nijizuishou, and it had unfortunately gone to the Dark Kingdom. Zoisite, the new Shittenou who had presented himself. Usagi's new weapon, the Moon Stick, would hopefully make it so they were on top of catching the carriers first.

Usagi, sitting on a pillow on the ground of the technologically advanced room, raised her hand up high. "We've never lost a fight and with another Senshi, I don't see how we will now!"

Rei even had to bite her tongue to not say anything. She was right. They'd never lost. Not succeeded in all objectives sometimes...but no, never lost.

"Still," Mako breathed. "It's so weird. And so natural."

Ami nodded her agreement. "Like a piece of a puzzle falling into place."

Rei sighed. "And yet...something's nagging me. Like we haven't quite finished what we're looking for."

The three Senshi talked and Usagi tuned them out, and she did when Ami and Rei had talked about this in the past. It wasn't a feeling she shared. As she had just been named leader, maybe that had something to do with it. She wasn't sure.

She let out her breath and decided she had better get home. She still had homework to pretend she needed to do, and it was dinner time.

OoOoO

It was the next day. The next day! Sailor Moon screamed silently to herself. She had gone out with Naru and Umino and, of all people, a Catholic Priest was one of the Nijizuishou carriers. It frustrated her to no end. Jupiter was on her way, and she called Mercury and Mars, too. Until then, well, she was on her own.

 _It would be great if Tuxedo Mask would show up._

She dodged another attack from the youma, Boxy, as Luna gave her tips, which really weren't going to help when it came to a physical youma. She wasn't equipped to fight physically. That really seemed more Jupiter's thing, if she would just hurry!

Umino and Naru were, unfortunately, used to this and had run a long time ago.

Sailor Moon kept dodging but tripped on a toppled headstone.

Boxy was coming upon her and she cringed but felt familiar arms come around her, and she was airborne, which caused her to breathe easy.

"Seems a little more dangerous than normal, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said as they landed near to the church.

"You don't know the half of it," she mumbled. "Oh! Thank you." She beamed at him.

"Where is the Nijizuishou?" he asked. "Did Zoisite get it?"

Sailor Moon sighed internally. "I don't know. I had to get people out of the cemetery, and he's not exactly an easy opponent."

He frowned at her, clearly disappointed. Sailor Moon wanted to frown right back at him. It's not like she didn't need the Nijizuishou herself.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

Tuxedo Mask hadn't been at the last battle, so he raised an eyebrow. "Thunder? A new Senshi?"

"Sailor Jupiter," Sailor Moon answered. "Hey! I need to find the Nijizuishou! Guys! Fight the youma, I'm gonna find Zoisite!" She ran in the other direction, followed by Tuxedo Mask, as the others tried to remind her that they couldn't change the youma back.

Mars sighed. "Great. So we'll just do this until she comes back."

"Mars, those Nijizuishou make the Ginzuishou. We need them," Mercury reminded her.

Mars mumbled something under her breath, and they continued the fight.

Not too far off, Tuxedo Mask was following Sailor Moon as she tried to track Zoisite. "So, are you our enemy?" She yelled behind her.

"I already told you that!"

She rounded a building and saw a gray uniform in the distance. She picked up speed. "Then you'll tell me who you are?"

"Once you tell me who you are!"

"HA!" Sailor Moon winked. "Alright, Zoisite, hand over the Nijizuishou!" Sailor Moon demanded as she arrived behind the Shittenou.

Zoisite turned around in shock, the red crystal in his hand, and Tuxedo Mask tackled him to the ground, the crystal flying out of his hand. For a moment, Sailor Moon fought with herself on if she should help, but then realized that the crystal was just sitting there. She snatched it from the ground and bounded off.

"WAIT, YOU BRAT!" Zoisite yelled.

Tuxedo Mask punched him in the mouth and then stood up, running after the girl once again.

 _How can she be so fast?_

And then he watched her tuck the Nijizoushou into her bodysuit.

Yeah, there was no way he was getting that by physical force.

He watched from a safe distance as Sailor Moon did not destroy, but rather healed the youma. To his shock it had been a human. Anger bubbled up Tuxedo Mask's throat.

 _They'll stop at nothing to make their gains._

The Senshi were talking, scolding Sailor Moon until...yep...He watched her pull out the Nijizuishou from her suit and show it to the others. He jumped down just as they started congratulating her.

"That's mine, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said, his voice demanding and firm.

All four Senshi turned to him and within seconds changed their ranks to protect Sailor Moon and her Nijizuishou. She stuffed it back in her bodysuit and he again had to admit to himself he would not take it.

"Don't see your name carved on it, Tuxedo Mask," Jupiter said.

She was balanced on her feet, and light despite being much taller than the other girls. Tuxedo Mask could tell she had some kind of training. Mars, however, was sparking fire in her fingertips, so that worried him. Mercury...he just had this feeling he never wanted to make her mad and with her staring at him coolly, calculating. Yeah.

He stuck to addressing Sailor Moon, but knew he had to keep on his toes lest he be fried, crisped, or frozen.

"I attacked him and got him to drop it."

"I guess if you'd knocked him out faster you could have gotten it!"

"Sailor Moon, I need it. I have to find...Well, that's none of your business. I need that."

"Well we need it, too. So, when we're done with them, um, you can have them."

"What?"

A clap of thunder and strangely darkening sky startled the five super heroes. They looked up just in time to see a small cloud form into a circle. There was a flash and then just as quickly it was bright again, but something was falling.

Straight at Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon didn't have time to react and cried out when something that weighed at least forty pounds dropped right on top of her, crashing to the ground.

"What the hell just fell on me?!" Sailor Moon cried trying to sit up, despite that whatever had just happened had _really_ hurt.

She felt another small hit, but more like a balloon had hit her.

"Luna-P!" an unfamiliar voice yelled.

Sailor Moon looked up and blinked, coming face to face with a pair of cinnamon colored eyes, which were filled with tears. Young eyes. She pulled back and the girl was wearing a dark blue sailor suit, she had pink hair that was actually pulled up into a modified odango style, like hers, and her face...

The little girl's lip wobbled and, despite that even Tuxedo Mask had joined the circle around Sailor Moon to assess the situation, she focused solely on the moon Senshi.

"You...You're Sailor Moon, aren't you?"

"Yes," Sailor Moon answered, smiling at the terrified child, who was clutching some sort of round toy. She was on the ground, eye-to-eye with her. "I'm Sailor Moon, these are the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask. Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Sailor Moon...but I was supposed to go to Mama." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I wanted to go to Mama! She has the Ginzuishou, and she can make it better. She can save it."

The Senshi and Tuxedo Mask, each after the Ginzuishou, began to ask many more questions.

"Who is your mother?"

"Where can we take you?"

"How do you know about the Ginzuishou?"

"What is your name?"

"Guys!" Sailor Moon snapped as the girl began to cry again. "She's been through something. Hey, don't listen to them. I'll help you find your Mama. But I can't help you until you tell me your name. You know mine, so that's only fair for friends, right?"

The child immediately perked up and she nodded. "My name is Usagi! Please, Sailor Moon, help me find my mama!"

"Sure, of course!" Sailor Moon ignored that she had her name, it was unusual, but surely not unheard of, right? "What's your mama's name?"

"Tsukino Usagi."

The Senshi were too stunned to speak, and it even took Tuxedo Mask a moment before he could form a coherent thought. "And Tsukino Usagi has the Ginzuishou?"

"Well, duh, she's the ruler of Silver Millennium." Everyone looked confused and Usagi huffed. "The Moon Princess." She said it as though it should be common knowledge.

Sailor Mars put up both her hands. "Wait, you're saying a girl named Tsukino Usagi is your mother, the Moon Princess. Nice try, but we happen to know that girl, and she's fourteen. Not your mother."

"The enemy must have sent her," Mercury said as she now began to scan the little girl.

"Hey...why don't you know that?" She asked. She looked at Sailor Moon. "Of course she'd have the Ginzuishou...I...I know about you because Daddy used to tell me story about you. And Tuxedo Mask. You two are um...umm..leg..legn..."

"Legends?" Tuxedo Mask supplied.

"Yeah."

Mercury looked over her computer, which was confirming that this girl wasn't filled with dark energy. She was just a normal little girl. "Usagi-chan...what year is it?"

Usagi, with her tired eyes answered quickly. "2902."

Sailor Moon, still in shock at this child, felt the date sink in. "You're from the future? Our future?" The girl nodded. "Did something happen?" She nodded and started crying again. Sailor Moon pulled her close. The teenagers exchanged looks, speaking without letting the girl hear them. They needed to help her, they needed answers.

"I'll take her home," Sailor Moon whispered. "We can talk to her later."

"No!"

"Maybe..."

Sailor Moon shook her head and stood with the little girl in her arms. "I'll make some excuse. She's not dangerous. I don't feel anything bad in her. Do you, Mars?" Mars hesitated but then reluctantly shook her head. "Mercury?" Another negative. "There. We'll find her mother later. We'll...figure things out." She faced Tuxedo Mask. "The Moon Princess is our responsibility. That's why we need the Nijizuishou. I can't give it to you."

"Well, I guess I can say we are on the same side then, Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Mask said with the shake of his head as he prepared to leave. "A trade. For information. Maybe once the child is settled we can... negotiate better arrangements when it comes to knowledge?"

So much was happening, too much. Tuxedo Mask, who was always dancing on the line of friend or foe. A daughter. Moon Princess. Ginzuishou. She knew she was supposed to act but she was still stuck back on the daughter part.

Mercury saw that Sailor Moon was more than overwhelmed and spoke up. "One that benefits us both." Sirens echoed in the distance. "We'll talk next time!"

The others agreed, knowing Luna was going to be absolutely livid, and Sailor Moon smiled. "Okay. Until then, though!"

All five of them went in a different direction, just in time for the police to finally show up.

OoOoO

Sailor Moon stopped and ducked into an abandoned shop after a few minutes. She set Usagi down and sighed, looking down at the girl, panic setting in. No dark energy, her name, her _face!_ "Okay, um, it may seem like I'm freaking out, and it's because I am." She slapped her forehead. "Shit, are you kidding me? You're my daughter?!"

Usagi did a double take. "What? No! I'm Usagi's daughter! That's why I'm called Usagi, too."

Sighing, Sailor Moon let her transformation fade, and she was standing in her school uniform, her broach set on her bow. "I don't know why I wouldn't have told you, but, I _am_ Tsukino Usagi. And I'm Sailor Moon." She grabbed both of her pigtails. "And now you're telling me I'm this Moon Princess we've been looking for?! How is that even possible?!"

The younger Usagi's mouth dropped and her eyes got wide. "Wow. Papa always told me stories about Sailor Moon, and how she was the strongest, most beautiful, most graceful Sailor Senshi ever. He never told me that...you were her."

Usagi blushed and laughed. "Well...that's so nice of you...wait. Who's your papa?"

"Even I'm smart enough to know I shouldn't tell you that. You should know."

"Well I don't, so...come on! Tell me, please?"

"No way!"

"Come on, Chibi-Usa!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Well, we can't call you 'Usagi.' Everyone will ask questions. And you need a back story. And what is that toy, anyway?" She studied it now that she could take the time. "It looks like Luna."

Chibi-Usa smiled. "It's something that was made by a good friend. I can use it to do a lot of things. Little tricks. Maybe I can play a mind trick so no one will ask who I am?"

"That's kinda mean. Why would you do that to people? Oh. OH." Usagi realized what she was talking about. "So, you gonna be my sister? Cousin? Cousin sounds good, right? Then we don't have to know each other our whole lives...Though I guess we will one day."

Chibi-Usa nodded and they began to walk out of the shop. Hesitantly she asked, "So you don't have the Ginzuishou?"

"No. We're looking for it. Do you know where it is? The other Nijizuishou?"

Chibi-Usa knew there was a way to call the Nijizuishou together without having to awaken all of them. She'd had talks with Mercury about the theory of it as a history lesson. And then shocked her mother by trying to talk about it with her! But, she was in the wrong place, the wrong time. She was changing history so much, she couldn't change such important things!

"You probably shouldn't tell me, huh?" Chibi-Usa shook her head. "Okay. But, am I really the Moon Princess?"

"Yep."

"What's my name?"

"Serenity."

"Wow. Someone was really not planning on my reincarnation."

To Be Continued...

So, fun? Not? Yes, romance will be coming in the future. I did just reveal a lot to Mamo-chan!


	2. Introdutions

**Chapter 2: Introductions**

Slightly revised chapter. Thank you to everyoen for reading and reviewing.

 **Changed Fate**

 **Chapter 2/?**

 **Introductions**

Usagi and Chibi-Usa walked to the Hikawa Jinja, taking the steps slowly. Chibi-Usa because she had small legs. Usagi because she knew that everything in her world had changed.

They waved to Rei's grandfather, all the way on the other side of the courtyard, before going inside.

Usagi felt her anxiety well up in her chest, causing her heart to flutter, but her stomach set as hard as stone. She stopped in the hallway to Rei's room. Chibi-Usa looked up at her and took her hand.

"Usagi?"

"The Senshi," she whispered. The weight of who she was, what was expected of her, was starting to sink in. Why it had never felt as natural as it did to the others.

 _I'm not one of them_

"Are they still my friends in the future? Or are they just...people? We were told to protect the princess, so will that be all they are?"

Chibi-Usa raspberried. "Papa told me last month that you were thrown out of an, um, what did he call it? Well, a grown-up place, with Sailor Venus, for being too loud."

"Sailor Venus?"

"Yeah." Chibi-Usa looked back on her memories fondly. The Senshi were her mother's protectors, but that didn't stop them for looking out for her. They were like aunts to her. Friends and mentors. "It's hard to go outside the palace."

Usagi blinked several times, processing that Chibi-Usa had said 'palace'.

"Sometimes we go out in disguise so we're not noticed. Mama took Venus out because she was sad and they got in trouble. Venus and Mama are best friends! But...Mama is best friends with all the Senshi. She and Venus just get in trouble a lot." Chibi-Usa looked thoughtful. "Both Luna and Artemis say they act like teenagers...but I think they're just being overly cridual. Uh, critical."

Usagi didn't want to ask what a 'grown up place' was, but she was curious about Sailor Venus. And whoever Artemis was. Another ally, if she was to go by Chibi-Usa's description. And her best friend?

They started walking again, and she flung the door open to have her friends immediately stop talking. Rei shot to her feet and looked as though she wanted to say something but sat down when both Chibi-Usa and Usagi did. Luna came over and poked her head at the little girl who smiled and hugged her a little too tightly. The Senshi had filled her in.

Luna hadn't been thrilled about Tuxedo Mask.

The room was silent for several minutes before Usagi slammed her hands on the table. "My name is Tsukino Usagi. I'm Tsukino Usagi today, I'll be Tsukino Usagi tomorrow. Yeah, I know, I get it. None of us saw this coming, and we're just going to have to wing it. So, look, she literally fell from the sky, has no dark energy in her, and knows us. She even mentioned another Senshi, Sailor Venus. She says she's my _daughter."_

"Oh, um, yes, about her," Luna interrupted, suddenly very flustered. "I spoke with someone after Ami-chan contacted me. His name is Artemis. In light of what is happening, he is bringing Sailor Venus to this meeting...soon."

"What?" Mako demanded, Rei's voice following hers.

Usagi connected the name. "Chibi-Usa mentioned people named Artemis and Venus before..."

An argument started between them, with Luna trying to justify herself to the two very protective girls.

Ami shook her head and turned to the two Usagi's. "Usagi-chan? Or is it Chibi-Usa?" Chibi-Usa nodded. "Chibi-Usa-chan then. I'm Mizuno Ami. Sailor Mercury." She smiled widely and bowed her head gently to the girl. "Would you mind if I took a piece of your hair to study? I promise, it won't hurt, and I need to compare yours and Usagi-chan's genes. Do you understand?"

"Genes?" Chibi-Usa knew the very basics of science, but she knew that genes were something you got from your parents, both of their genes to make you. "You don't believe me for saying Tsukino Usagi is my mom."

Everyone was silent now. Usagi glared at Luna, feeling she was behind this.

"Chibi-Usa-chan," Rei began, "we're in the middle of a fight with very dangerous people. We have to be sure."

"Yeah...the Dark Kingdom," Chibi-Usa whispered. But she inhaled sharply and nodded before yanking a strand of hair out. "I'm _me."_

Ami already had all of the Senshi's data on file. Everything from just simple contact information for their parents to studies of how their powers have affected their DNA. Currently, it was inconclusive.

It took only a few seconds before the results displayed and Ami blinked, still surprised. "Well...Luna? From what this says Usagi-chan and Chibi-Usa-chan are definitely related. They share roughly half the same DNA profile." She closed her computer. "Usagi-chan is definitely Chibi-Usa-chan's mother."

"Could there be another way? Another relationship?" Luna asked.

"Only parents and children or siblings share 50% or more of the same DNA. And then they could only share 25% because they don't share the same father. So, um, Usagi's mother would have quite the explanation to make. Especially since they don't share the same mother, either. The only reasonable conclusion is that Usagi is her mother."

Chibi-Usa nodded her head and smiled at Usagi. "Told you I wasn't lying."

Usagi still looked shell-shocked. She hadn't doubted Chibi-Usa, there was a feeling inside of her that this little girl needed her, and she could trust her. But then that meant...

"I really am the Moon Princess," Usagi whispered in awe.

Everyone erupted over her, talking about the past, the future, asking Usagi if she felt different.

"GUYS!" Usagi yelled. "We have an important task. Remember? Something happened, and she is here for our help. From the year 2905!"

Rei and Mako sat down. Luna shrank back.

"Maybe we should wait until Sailor Venus comes?" Ami suggested. "We don't want to do this twice."

Mako stretched and ate a cookie. "Good idea. But, you guys know what this means, right?" No one answered. "We beat the Dark Kingdom and live another day!"

"Now that calls for more snacks!" A voice from the door joined in.

Everyone turned. A girl with long blonde hair tied with a big red bow, wearing a typical sailor school fuku was standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, I told your grandfather I was a friend and he let me in," the girl explained. "He's uh, friendly."

Rei smacked her forehead with her palm and growled, " _Ojii-chan_..."

She was carrying a white cat on her shoulder and also had a box from Asahi Bakery. "I thought it would take me longer to get here...so I'm like forty-five minutes early? I know that insanely rude, but ARTEMIS kept complaining that he was hot so...I have cupcakes?"

"Sit right here!" Chibi-Usa said, waving her over.

Grinning, she sat between Chibi-Usa and Rei who bowed her head in greeting. "Aino Minako! Second year junior high student and Sailor Venus on the side!"

"Rei Hino, Sailor Mars."

"Mizuno Ami. I'm Sailor Mercury."

"Kino Makoto. Call me Mako."

"And you must BOTH be Tsukino Usagi," Minako said with a smile. "Luna told Artemis what happened, or kinda what happened? Either way, wow, we've got a lot of ground to cover."

"Agreed," said Artemis. "Little girl-"

"Chibi-Usa!" several of the Senshi corrected him.

Artemis blushed. "Sorry. Um, Chibi-Usa-chan, Luna told me where you're from?"

"We've just verified it with DNA," Ami said. "Usagi-chan was just bringing us back to finding out why Chibi-Usa-chan is even here."

Luna-P floated from out of Chibi-Usa's hands and towards the middle of the table. Rei immediately had a scroll of exorcism out, but waited. It paled and then brightened to show the form of a woman wearing a Senshi fuku. She was kneeling and holding a large staff which looked like a key, looking slightly panicked.

"PUU!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, looking extremely happy. Then she suddenly pulled back. "Puu...I'm sorry."

"Small Lady...I have been so worried," the new Senshi said as she stood, relief evident on her face. She was mature, possibly a decade older than the other Senshi, but also seemingly ancient in her eyes. "I was unable to locate you for so long. But I am relieved." She turned to Usagi. "Your Highness, Princess Serenity." Usagi started and then cocked her head at the woman, intent on listening. "That is something you were not yet to know. It is not Small Lady's fault, fate can take a turn and lead us in unexpected ways. But things were different before."

"What do you mean? And who are you?" Luna asked.

"Please pardon my rudeness. I am Sailor Pluto. I am the guardian of time and space." Luna and Artemis exchanged an amazed glance. "First know that time travel is forbidden. Small Lady has done so without permission."

Chibi-Usa looked ashamed, though Pluto didn't look at all cross. She smiled sadly again. "I can't say your reaction is unexpected. But, for now, she is safer here. Small Lady was aiming to arrive at a time when all of you have become more at home in your powers, and the roles you have in life, both this and your previous one. And while speeding these events up would not in and of itself normally be too detrimental something has happened."

Sailor Pluto warred with herself. There was much riding on how she phrased her information. She could not break another Taboo.

"Sailor Pluto," Ami said severely. "We must know."

Yes. They had to know. Time was fluid, much more right now than normal, and if they didn't work to save the future now, the Dark Kingdom would rule. "Yes." Resolved. Firm. "Yes. Someone has followed Small Lady back to this time. An enemy that has attacked the future, leaving it all but a barren waste land. There is no one left to fight there."

"What about Usagi?" Rei was panicked.

Pluto looked away. "I cannot say."

"You'd damn well better say something!" Mako yelled.

Minako looked helpless, panicked. "But we're her protectors. We'd be protecting her, wouldn't we?"

"What can we do?" Usagi intervened, not wanting to consider her future self's fate. "The future, it's our future, we have to help!"

Sailor Pluto averted her gaze. "That is not an option right now. Because you are still fighting the Dark Kingdom, and the other threat is here, too. You leaving could destroy any hope of that future. And I fear, even with Tuxedo Mask's assistance, you will not be strong enough to fight this enemy."

"That's not possible," Minako whispered.

Usagi considered this for a moment. "So, they are looking for Chibi-Usa?"

"Yes."

Rei leaned forward. "Are they looking for Usagi, too?"

"Her identity as Sailor Moon is a secret, even in the future. Only those closest to the crown know. Tsukino Usagi is not a target at all, and according to historic records, died very young. Sailor Moon, who simply disappeared, will be marked an enemy since you are an ally to Small Lady."

"What is their name?" Ami asked.

"They call themselves the Black Moon."

Mako kept clenching and unclenching her fist. "Can we trust Tuxedo Mask?"

Sailor Pluto chuckled slightly. Some things were still amusing, no matter how often you reincarnated. "There is no soldier that would protect better than he will. And you will need him if you hope to defeat the Dark Kingdom and hold off the Black Moon until we can draw them back into the future."

Usagi sent Luna a smug glance, which was promptly ignored.

"What can you tell us about this enemy? How strong are they? How do we fight them?" Artemis pressed.

"Nothing. What I have already told you is pushing the limits of my Taboo." At the word 'Taboo', Chibi-Usa sunk down again. Sailor Pluto sent her a reassuring smile. "Small Lady, don't worry. I know you are scared. Usagi-san is a good person, and she will help you. But never forget that she is also young. She's not your mother. But she is Sailor Moon. There is no one stronger."

"Why us, Pluto? What's so special about us?" Rei asked. The question they had all asked before, since they had awakened, but Luna had been unable to answer.

Pluto had expected this question, and asked for guidance on how to approach it. She decided she would take King Endymion's wisdom to heart. Don't lie.

"We are the reincarnations of the Silver Millennium, a race of beings from different planets in the solar system and their moons – ruled by the Earth's moon and Queen Serenity. Queen Serenity's seal of the evil has broken, which is why you have awakened to your powers. Though not all of them yet. It will take time."

"As the princess, as Serenity, would I be stronger?" Usagi ventured.

"The power is within you now, Princess. Just like I said, you've awakened, just not to everything yet."

"It sounds like you're over simplifying it," Ami said. Her eyes burned, a question, a thought, hope, in her mind.

"There are things that even I don't know, and others that are not my story to tell. But what is your question, Ami-san?"

"You're Pluto, so there has to be a Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn, right? There's more."

"They are not yet supposed to awaken. Their mission is different. However, timelines are changing. Usagi-san," Pluto paused, "beware of race cars."

"Huh?"

Pluto sighed, but there was a ghost of a smile still on her lips. "Now I really have said too much. Good bye, Sailor Senshi. Good bye, Small Lady. I know it may be hard, but try not to interfere with history if you can help it."

"Puu!"

The light turned off of the Luna P and it gently floated back into its' owners' arms. Chibi-Usa clung to it for her life and tried not to cry again.

"Two enemies," Ami whispered. "How are we going to fight two enemies at once, and one that we're not strong enough to fight?"

"First things first," Minako took charge, "is that we find out who Tuxedo Mask is and bring him in. We need all the help we can get. And Sailor Pluto had a lot of faith in him."

Mako snorted. "Like an insulting amount! Protect her better than us?"

"I know! It's _our_ job to protect Usagi, not some chump in a cheap suit!" Rei snapped, as angry as though Pluto had personally insulted her.

Even Ami gave a nod as she continued to analyze Usagi and Chibi-Usa's DNA.

"I'll show that-"

"Girls?" Luna interrupted. "After finding Tuxedo Mask, what should we do?"

"Train," Minako said. "A lot. We need to be open to whatever extra powers we may have that Pluto was hinting at."

Usagi took a sip of her tea and thought it over. What Pluto had confirmed. That things had changed. She wasn't showing any signs that she was the princess, so whatever power that was locked in there wasn't helping right now. And who knew how long it would be? They needed more power until they could make themselves strong enough to defeat the new threat.

"We need to find the other Senshi," Usagi said firmly. "There's three of them, and Pluto hinted that they weren't supposed to wake up for a while, but things changed. Maybe we can find them and awaken them. Then we'll have extra power to defeat our enemies."

Chibi-Usa thought briefly on the three Outer Senshi that she was only passingly familiar with, and on what Pluto had said about not changing history. Well, anymore.

Saturn was the youngest, she knew that, but when you were almost 1000 years old, age really didn't matter. Saturn also brought her surprises and toys from other worlds all the time. Uranus and Neptune had been together since their previous life, just like her parents.

She had caught them kissing under the mistletoe during last year's Christmas Party. Being the mature person she was Chibi-Usa had merely wrinkled her nose at them and rolled her eyes. Uranus laughed at her, only to kiss Neptune again. Yeah. Just like her parents.

Her Mama had explained that Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn were all very good at diplomatic situations and other worlds, so they weren't around too often because they were negotiating with their neighboring star systems, working as a team.

Sailor Mars later told her that Sailor Uranus was actually not legally allowed to speak at a diplomatic meeting because she always got in trouble. She was there for intimidation. She was really, really good at her job, Mars had said.

"Chibi-Usa-chan, do you know the other Senshi?"

Minako's question pulled Chibi-Usa out of her thoughts and she hesitated. If she told them their names, she would change history. And she only knew their first names, anyway, the names her parents called them. She didn't know any of the Senshi's family names.

"Chibi-Usa?"Usagi prompted, eyes hopeful.

"What Puu said...I can't change things, right? I shouldn't give information because it's Taboo." Chibi-Usa's eyes welled up with tears. "But they're here, in Tokyo. So maybe because of this stuff they'll find us. They'll want to find my mom if she awakens."

Artemis put a paw on Chibi-Usa's hand and she stopped talking. He nudged her face and then she giggle when Luna licked her cheek.

"Don't worry," Artemis said. "Sailor Pluto doesn't want to change things that don't need to be changed."

"So don't say anything you don't think you should," Luna instructed her.

OoOoO

The sun had set and Mamoru was still sitting on his couch, staring blankly at this television, wondering what the hell had happened today.

Usagi. Tsukino Usagi. Girl who he had met due to a failed test paper. Girl who he went out of his way to see for no reason. Girl who he waited for every day before school. So-called 'odango' because of her hair style...which her daughter copied.

Her daughter.

"Holy shit, her _daughter_! She's...Okay, think again. Her daughter said it was the 30th century. The Senshi didn't seem too shocked about that. Is that within the lifespan of someone like that? Maybe, okay, we'll go with maybe and it doesn't matter right now, Chiba. Usagi is the princess and she needs the Ginzuishou. The Senshi want the exact same thing because...Usagi needs the Ginzuishou! UGH!"

Tomorrow he would have to gently pry into her life. More than he already did. She had just made a new friend called Makoto according to Motoki.

And Sailor Moon had just added another Senshi...

"I cannot believe I am just realizing this."

Ami and Rei were Mercury and Mars. He could _see_ them now as one and the other. And the new girl, Makoto, was tall and a brunette-so was Sailor Jupiter. And they were all around Usagi, the Moon Princess. Protecting her. Sailor Moon, he noted, was absent, but maybe she took a background approach?

"Geeze, Odango. No wonder I couldn't leave you alone." He chuckled and then breathed deeply. He could see her now. And her voice... "You were screaming at me that you were there."

He looked out the window as the night cooled and the few visible stars came out.

It was going to be an interesting walk to school in the morning.

OoOoO

Usagi had to keep reminding herself that as creepy as it was that her family was doting on Chibi-Usa, talking about things that had never happened, and making arrangements to clean the attic and make it a room for her, it was necessary. They had to sell it to the everyone that this was their distant cousin staying with them while her mother was ill.

Somehow documents appeared, making it possible to enroll Chibi-Usa in school. Chibi-Usa was set to stay home the first few days so she could 'transition' to her new home. After that, Ikuko and Kenji made sure she knew she had to go to school.

That didn't stop Chibi-Usa from cheerfully waving goodbye to Usagi from the door when she took off for school, not as late as normal.

Usagi ran as usual, though. If she didn't, she wouldn't-

OOF

-run into Mamoru.

"Need a hand?" He asked, as he did most mornings.

Usagi turned away his offer and stood on her own. "You could stop waiting for me to hit you."

"How could I possibly do that, Odango?"

"I don't know, step six inches to the left?"

Mamoru smiled. "Nah."

"Usagi-chan!"

Usagi turned away from Mamoru and waved over her new friend. "Mako-chan! You sleep in, too?"

The tall brunette, yep Sailor Jupiter as he thought, smiled at Mamoru. "Friend of yours, Usagi-chan?"

"Oh, um, Chiba Mamoru this is Kino Makoto. She just transferred to Juuban and makes really good food! Mako-chan, Mamoru and I um...run into each other a lot."

Mako had heard about this guy from Luna and Rei. Nice, but kinda mysterious. Rei said she was pretty sure he was interested in Usagi in more than just running into her on 'accident' several times a week.

"Ooh, sure, I get it." She winked at Usagi who immediately blushed.

"No, no! Not like that! We're um, friends, I guess."

"What? Of course we're friends!" Mamoru said, a little shocked. "We've been friends since you beaned me with a test."

"That makes you my trash can, not my friend. You're the one who always calls me names!"

"But odango atama sounds so cute."

Mako nodded sagely. "Yup, it's like that."

This time both of them blushed and Mamoru managed to stammer out, "Aren't you ladies late?"

Mako and Usagi both gave little screeches and ran, Usagi calling out, "See ya later, Mamoru!" over her shoulder.

"It is so like that," Mako insisted with a huge grin on her face.

"He's just...I don't know," Usagi admitted. "Every day I run into him! But he always offers to help me up if I fall. And I'm not blind either, ya know?"

"Oh, yeah!"

They giggled and then high fived when they made it into their school building as the final bell rang.

OoOoO

Rubeus quirked an eyebrow as Koan gave her report.

Koan had seen active Sailor Senshi, though they looked very young, fighting some sort of youma. Petz was there as well and saw someone the Senshi called "Zoisite."

"In a gray uniform?" Rubeus clarified.

"Yes, sir," Petz affirmed. She watched as Rubeus considered the information. "Is that relevant?"

Shaking his head at her lack of knowledge. "Youma, Sailor Senshi, and a gray clad man named Zoisite. It sounds like the Dark Kingdom." Rubeus said.

Berthier pursed her blue lips together. "The Dark Kingdom? According to Sapphire-sama, during that really long and boring debriefing, that was the first awakening of the Sailor Senshi and the Ginzuishou. The first appearance of 'Chaos' in the solar system since the fall of Silver Millennium. Apparently, Sailor Moon is in this time." Her sisters were all looking at her. "Well, one of us had to pay attention! And it wasn't going to be Petz-onee-sama."

Calaveras waved her sisters off before a fight broke out. "So, they're young and weak. Shouldn't be a problem to get the Rabbit."

"We'll have to tread carefully. The only good Sailor Senshi is a dead one. And even at their weakest, they still destroyed an agent of Chaos," Rubeus reminded them. "Don't underestimate them."

To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading! See you next week.


	3. Unveiling

**Chapter 3: Unveiling**

Another week, another chapter. But it's fun!

Thank you for reading, I hope if you're at this point you've enjoyed it so far.

 **Changed Fate**

 **Chapter 3/?**

 **Unveiling**

Mamoru wasn't waiting for Usagi to arrive. Not exactly. He just knew she was going to arrive. And he was waiting for that time to come.

Simply put he was _not_ stalking her.

It was the first Monday after the attack and subsequent revelation that Usagi was the Moon Princess, the one in his dreams, and also the mother to Usagi Vol. 2. Thinking of his dreams, he was still having them, and it was unsettling. But they weren't exactly the same.

He could see her now, and she was Usagi, but also not at the same time. There was something almost heaven sent about her. Silver haired, with a crescent moon mark on her forehead. Her eyes, Usagi's eyes, were still filled with tears and told him he was so close. That they still needed the Ginzuishou.

The doors slide open and out of the corner of his eye, Mamoru caught a glimpse of blue and blonde. He turned and smiled, then started. Usagi was standing there, next to the other, smaller, pinker Usagi.

 _I thought she went with Sailor Moon?_

The smaller, pinker Usagi ran forward and jumped on the stool next to him, smiling broadly. "Hi!" she said.

Mamoru blinked, then smiled back at the girl. He had to admit, Usagi was good at keeping people in high spirits. "Hi. You're with Odango, huh? What's your name?"

"I'm Chibi-Usa." She looked much better than she had before. Cheerful, carefree. "Usagi is my cousin."

Usagi came up behind them and side-eye Mamoru. "Mamoru. Today was Chibi-Usa's first day of school. I promised her I'd buy her a milkshake and she could play some games. Chiba Mamoru, Tsukino Chibi-Usa."

"First day of school, huh?" Mamoru said. "That's a big deal." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Maybe he was feeling generous, or even that he owed a favor to Usagi for that time he had yelled at her about her shoe hitting him. But he pulled out a 1,000 yen note* and handed it to Chibi-Usa. Her eyes lit up and she looked to Usagi, whose eyebrows had disappeared, before yelling a 'Thank you!' and running to the game area.

"That...was...really nice of you, Mamoru," Usagi said, her voice filled with shock. "I mean, I have money, I can pay."

Mamoru put his wallet back and shrugged. "Let her have fun. What is she, Six? Seven? And visiting her cousin, going to school? Is everything okay?" he asked, wondering what the cover story for her was. Obviously the Senshi had placed them together to make it easier to watch them both.

Usagi's smile faded a little, he knew her well enough to know she was coming up with something to say. "Her mom's really sick. It was just easier for my family to take care of her until things calm down. We're sharing a room right now since we're still getting her stuff. I don't mind it too much, but between her and Luna I don't have much bed!"

"Have you thought about making the cat sleep on the floor?"

"You have never had a cat."

Mamoru conceded the point. "Hey, Motoki-kun! Cherry Coke and two chocolate milkshakes for Usagi!"

This time Usagi did a double take. He knew her usual order? The Cherry Coke was immediately set down in front of the seat next to Mamoru and she slid in to it as Motoki went to make her and Chibi-Usa's milkshakes. "I can pay for this, too, ya know."

Mamoru waved her off. "Don't worry about it, Usagi."

"Feel like doing my homework for me?"

"With all the extra assignments you probably get to bring up your grade? No one's that generous."

Usagi pouted, but then noticed that Mamoru was eyeing her, his eyes sparkling and his lips upturned. She hid her own smile, and blush, behind her Coke.

"So," Mamoru began again, "how long is Chibi-Usa going to stay with you?"

"Dunno. Not too long. But I guess It's really bad." She sighed. "Well, hopefully things will work out."

She looked depressed and Mamoru went to change the subject, bring the topic back around to her and Chibi-Usa. He was stopped by a flower cart going through a window across the street. Chibi-Usa screamed and ran from her game to clutch at Usagi's skirt. Most people in Crown started running out the door and away from...whatever was outside.

But Mamoru, panicking about the two princesses under his protection, grabbed Usagi by the arm. "Come on!" he ordered. They helped Chibi-Usa over the counter and Usagi jumped on her own. He pulled them into the back room where the refrigerators and employee lockers were. No one else was back there.

"Stay here, hopefully whatever's going on will leave you alone." He pointed to the back door. "When it gets quiet run out that way and go home, okay? Okay?" Usagi nodded furiously. "I'm going to go help get others back here or out of the arcade and then I'll come check if you're still here. I'll get you home myself if I can."

Usagi smiled and hugged him fiercely. For him being brave, and for leaving her to transform and go do her own duty, even if he didn't know that. "Be careful, Mamoru!"

Mamoru hugged her back and then ran off.

Chibi-Usa clutched Luna-P and then she looked, terrified, into Usagi's eyes. "Are you going to fight?"

Usagi nodded. "You know I have to." She sighed when her daughter's eyes filled with tears. "Ah, come on, Chibi-Usa. I must not do too bad if your dad's telling you stories about me! Who is he anyway?"

"Not telling!"

"Geeze!" Usagi stamped her foot and grabbed her broach. "I'm gonna drag it out of you someday, you little pink..."

"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"

OoOoO

Sailor Moon was surprised to find she was second on the scene. Tuxedo Mask had, somehow, beaten her there and was doing his best to keep the youma away from people fleeing the area. The other Senshi were on their way. After only a couple of minutes everyone was out of the area, even Mamoru she noted happily. Hopefully, though, he wasn't finding her gone from the back of the Crown.

She looked and sure enough, saw a youma...but...Sailor Moon cocked her head. There was something off about this youma. She could feel it in her bones that this was stronger than anything she had ever faced. It was normal, as youma's go. An adult sized youma, with purple skin and green hair. Hideous, potentially female, and shooting acid from its mouth. But, it had a black, up-side down crescent moon on a gem on its forehead.

A black moon.

She landed beside Tuxedo Mask. "Do you have any idea what that is?" he asked her.

"It's like Chibi-Usa, that's what we're calling that girl by the way. It's from the future."

"Okay."

"And we were told, even with you, we weren't going to beat it."

"Someone told you this?"

"Yep."

"And THEY can't help us?"

"...no?"

"CRESENT BEAM!"

The not-quite-youma roared when the attack hit it and spit at where Sailor Venus was standing, but she flipped and landed next to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. "That thing is uuuugly," she stated, making a face. Noticing Tuxedo Mask she smiled and winked. "Sailor Venus, Goddess of Love and Beauty."

"Tuxedo Mask, worried about our chances."

Venus nodded sagely. "I think I might like you, Tuxedo Mask. Whoop, look out!"

The trio jumped away from the creature as it came after them again.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

"Another new Senshi? Anything else you need to tell me?!" Tuxedo Mask snapped as he pulled Sailor Moon from an acid spill.

"Think we're good!" Mars yelled as she readied her attack.

"You just got here!"

"Yeah, if it were up to me you wouldn't even be part of this equation. So..."

"FIRE SOUL!"

They volleyed back and forth with the youma, but never causing much damage. It was strong, too strong.

"It's from the Black Moon, guys!" Sailor Moon yelled.

"Black Moon..." Sailor Mercury gasped. "That's why our powers only hurt it." She was pale, but she gathered her courage and cloaked the area in a fog.

"SHABON SPRAY!"

"I think we all figured that out, Sailor Moon." Jupiter huffed and continued with the onslaught.

Tuxedo Mask quirked and eyebrow. "Black Moon?"

"Okay, so maybe there's more to tell you!" Sailor Moon stopped talking as she spotted her chance.

"MOON TIARA ACTION!"

This did have an effect and managed to create a slice in the monster's stomach but didn't destroy it.

"Are we screwed?" Jupiter asked as she threw more lightning at it.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're screwed," Mars intoned.

Venus sighed. "I'm going to die a virgin."

"VENUS!"

Sailor Moon threw her hands up in the air. "We need a plan, we only have one more trick, and I don't think the Moon Stick will help."

Venus squinted and then seemed to recall something. "Guys, I have this vague memory...or idea. We need to try it. Tuxedo Mask?"

The fog started to clear. Tuxedo Mask had just pulled Mercury, who was furiously trying to find some information about the youma, away from certain doom. She was blushing and thanking him softly.

"Yeah, Venus?"

"Think you can keep this thing occupied for a minute? I'm gonna need all of us on this!"

Tuxedo Mask took to the front, taunting and dodging attacks without another word.

The Senshi huddled around Venus. "I remember this, somehow. We can use our transformation powers to attack the youma! Or whatever it is. I think it's called a planet attack. Come on, all your power on that monster!"

"VENUS POWER!"

She stuck her hands and golden energy built up in her palms. Bright, beautiful, deadly. The others immediately caught on.

"MARS POWER!"

"JUPITER POWER!"

"MERCURY POWER!"

"MOON PRISM POWER!"

They gathered the power and aimed towards their enemy.

"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"

The monster was hit head on, and it screamed while shattering into a pile of dust, the gem on its forehead turning to stone.

"Wow." Jupiter blinked and looked at her hands. "That was..."

"That was incredible!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, dancing around. "That was so amazing! To think we could...Geeze, that was a lot of power."

Tuxedo Mask wiped his brow and nodded his agreement. "Good job, Sailor Senshi. I hope we don't have to do that again."

"We're going to have to do that again. This isn't going to get easier," Venus said. "The others told me you were interested in collaboration?" Mars and Jupiter exchanged frowns. "You still interested?"

Nodding, Tuxedo Mask noticed people were starting to come out and survey what had happened. "More than ever if these things are from the future. We need to talk."

Sailor Moon nodded and gave him a thumbs up, but then she remembered. "Uh, not right now though. I have...to get back to something."

Mars pursed her lips. "Do you know where the Hikawa Jinja is?" Trying not to laugh that he knew exactly who all of them are, except Sailor Moon, he nodded. "Five o' clock tomorrow afternoon. We'll meet you. Untransformed." The sound of sirens pierced the sky and she swore. "Let's go, ladies!"

OoOoO

Zoisite, far from the curious eyes of Senshi and humans, watched as the youma, which he had not sent, was decimated after much difficulty. He had been alerted to the scuffle and gone to observe it, expecting to find some dormant plan of Nephrite or Jadeite gone rogue. What he got was much more entertaining and educational. Though it also made him nervous.

There was something quite powerful out there. Something that had not previously been detected or made itself known.

"Zoisite of the Shittenou, I presume?" A female voice inquired from behind.

Startled, Zoisite whipped around and faced a tall woman in green...everything. Hair, eyes, down to her boots. Except for the upside down black crescent moon on her forehead. She was powerful, maybe not as powerful as him, but he didn't want to test that. She was standing, non-threatening, and trying to appear docile, something he doubted she was.

"I am."

"I am Petz of the Black Moon. My master, Rubeus-sama, wishes to speak with Queen Beryl-sama about an alliance against the Sailor Senshi."

Zoisite narrowed his eyes at her. "I'd be a poor general if I didn't ask how you know about my queen."

Petz answered with a cat-like smile. "We know much more than that, Zoisite-sama. Why don't you come with me to meet my master? He can answer your questions, and then you can decide what to report to your queen." She held out her hand. "We are not enemies, Zoisite-sama. A world without Senshi is a dream for us, too."

He took her hand.

They blinked into a dark space and Zoisite raised his eyebrows at the other three women, also sporting dark crescents and single-color outfits before noticing the man with flaming red hair.

"I was told that someone is seeking an alliance with the Dark Kingdom?"

The man stepped forward. "I am Rubeus of the Black Moon. I have been given leave to seek an alliance with you and your queen by my ruler, Prince Diamond."

"Then I suggest your prince seek me out."

"Please, Zoisite, we are both generals in an army. That isn't how it works, and you know it." Rubeus smirked. "If am offering far more than you can imagine."

Zoisite crossed his legs and hovered in the air. He held his hand out, in a gesture that clearly said, 'I'm waiting.'

"We are from the 30th century, from a place where the white moon rules, and has for almost a thousand years. You, and the entirety of the Dark Kingdom, have been dead for longer."

Choking back his anger, Zoisite could only yell "Lies!"

"TRUTH! Princess Serenity, now Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo, destroyed your 'Great Leader' with the Ginzuishou, and has spent her life in peace. Until just a few days ago." Rubeus waved his hand and brought forth a hologram of the now nearly destroyed city. Buildings around it lay crumbled, a giant black crystal was growing from the ground, and there was a larger structure, a crystal tower of some sort. "We invaded, but we've been stopped by the Sailor Senshi and are unable to take the palace. And the brat, the child of Neo-Queen Serenity, escaped to this era."

Zoisite leaned in, now very interested. "The child?"

Rubeus looked irritated. To be sent on such a simple task and to now do this. "Yes. The daughter of the queen, called Small Lady. We haven't been able to find her, but she probably came back in time to bring more warriors into the fight. We have two objectives while we are here." He came to Zoisite's level so they were looking eye-to-eye. "We are to get the Rabbit, and if we can, change the future so there is no Crystal Tokyo. And that is where we are offering our friendship to you. If we can join forces and destroy the Sailor Senshi in this time, help you get the Ginzuishou, there is no Neo-Queen Serenity. Or Rabbit."

"Hmm...An interesting proposal." Zoisite was surprised he could contain his glee. A child could be used against people. A hostage. Or if they find the princess, they could destroy her and the Dark Kingdom would reign. "Can you prove to me that you come from the future?"

"I'll bring my proof, and my prince, if we can agree on a meeting."

"I shall speak with my queen immediately."

OoOoO

Usagi let go her transformation when she came to the door. Tomorrow was going to be interesting, that's for sure. She took a deep breath, calmed herself from the battle, and opened the door. "Chibi-Usa! How-AH! Mamoru!"

Mamoru was standing beside Chibi-Usa, who was pouting and averting her eyes. Mamoru, though, was glaring at Usagi as she entered. "Where were you?" He demanded. "I just came down here to get you two and Chibi-Usa was alone!"

"Well...of course she was!" Usagi yelled back, coming up with an excuse quickly. She was used to it lately. "I heard the fighting stop and went to see if we could sneak out before the police showed up and tried to question us! She doesn't need anything like that!"

"O-oh." Mamoru blushed and averted his eyes. "I just..."

"Assumed I would leave my cousin, who is six friggin years old, in the middle of one of those dangerous attacks?! I can't believe you!" She had done that, but Chibi-Usa had been safe. That was why she had left after all. She grabbed Chibi-Usa's hand and stormed out of the shop.

"USAGI!"

Usagi kept marching at a fast pace. "I don't want to talk to you, Mamoru!"

Mamoru was actually struggling to keep up with her. Partly because of the chaos of police, reporters, and supposed witnesses outside, but mostly because of her walk. She was determined. "Usagi, please. I didn't mean anything by it! I wasn't thinking!"

"That, Mamoru, is obvious."

"But, that's...I mean!"

He kept following her, apologizing, even as she kept ignoring him, or grumbling. But, the grumbling became less, and his apologies were becoming more attempts at a start of a conversation. They reached the half-way point home, Ichi no Hashi Park, and Mamoru finally grabbed Usagi's hand and stopped her. He had wanted to talk to her before tomorrow, before the Senshi, but not like this.

"Usagi...come on. You know I think better of you than that."

Usagi pointed her finger in his face. "You all but said - "

Mamoru cut her off. "And I was just worried. People overreact when they're worried. And that still doesn't mean I'm not sorry, because I am. I was worried about you. Forgive me, _ohime-sama?_ " She stiffened a little at that word. "What, don't like to be addressed so formally?"

Chibi-Usa pulled her hand from Usagi's and ran to the swings where she watched what was unfolding, but also made sure she wasn't part of it. She understood that much.

"I...why would you call me that?" Usagi avoided his eyes, blushing, but also suddenly a little jittery.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, It's embarrassing, come on, Mamoru."

Mamoru still had a hold of her hand. "Usagi...you probably were talking to one of the Senshi, weren't you?" Usagi stilled and her eyes went wide. "Yeah. I was there when Chibi-Usa landed on Sailor Moon. I was there when she told us you were the Moon Princess, and tomorrow I'm going to meet the Senshi as myself, and I just had to talk to you before that."

"You're talking about some really weird things, Mamoru." But she was putting it together. There was only one or two ways he could know any of what he was claiming.

Mamoru kept pressing. "Not as weird as you being a princess, Usagi. Sailor Moon said she was taking Chibi-Usa, so when I saw you with her I knew that you knew everything."

One of one way.

"Oh, crap. I know we're...you're Tuxedo Mask, oh my GOD..." She shot a look over at Chibi-Usa who waved and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Calm down, Usagi. Calm down. Just another weird thing happening. Just get through it."

Mamoru glanced at her and noted that she was gripping her head and continued to mutter, "Calm down."

"Um, Usagi?"

"Actually," she looked up at him, almost defeated, "we didn't know until then. We had no idea and...wait. You think Sailor Moon and the Moon Princess are different people?"

"Aren't you?"

Usagi started giggling. She pulled her hand back and covered her mouth. She couldn't help it. She was laughing hysterically. He was Tuxedo Mask...and he didn't realize at all! He didn't notice! And her own daughter, too! Was she really that good? "Mamo... Mamoru! I'm Sailor Moon!" She pointed to her broach. "You-you didn't notice? I mean, really? I figured Tuxedo Mask put it together but-"

"Usa! Come on. Don't...You don't have to laugh _that_ hard!" Mamoru pleaded.

Suppressing her last giggle, Usagi grinned at Mamoru. "Okay. We're even. Now know why I had to leave Chibi-Usa in the backroom alone. And now I know why you were there so quickly." She got quiet. "So, is that why you've been nicer to me today? Cause I'm some princess?"

"Do you really think I've been risking being late to school every morning for two months because you're some princess?"

Blushing, Usagi looked away and felt her heart thud against her chest. He did. They always ran into each other. Every morning. Even when she would be as late as eight-thirty. He was always there.

"I guess I'm the one being stupid today," Usagi whispered.

"I don't think so. But...my dreams. Why have you been sending me dreams?"

Usagi looked up at him, confused. "Dreams? What dreams?"

"You haven't been sending me the dreams? To find the Ginzuishou?"

Again, Usagi looked blank. "Not that I know of? We should talk about it tomorrow, with everyone."

"That monster today?"

"No." Usagi shook her head. "That's tomorrow." She looked over at Chibi-Usa and sighed. "I don't want to think about it right now."

 **To Be Continued...**

*1,000 yen is about $10 – a good amount of gaming in 1992.

Drop me a line! Or just keep reading, that's nice, too.

-Ginzuishou


	4. Oh, come on!

Hello, everyone! I hate doing this, but I have some authors notes. Well, I'm sorry that I'm off schedule. I was rushed to the ER this past weekend and then had emergency surgery. I'm home now! Doing well, but when you've had surgery you are not exactly coherent all the time. I have things to edit in the next chapters and I really can't do it yet. So the next chapter is going to go up on 8/4/18. Hopefully I'll be off the pain meds by then!

I AM NOT ABANDONING THE STORY OR PUTTING IT ON HOLD!

I'll see you guys in a week!

-Ginzuishou


	5. Another New One

**Chapter 5: Another New One**

Hey! Well, I'm a few days later than I thought I'd be. Got a nice infection to go with my surgery! Yay?

Thank you to everyone for their support and well wishes. I'm starting to feel better and am less tired. Me and surgery do NOT get along well. Most people are back to work in less than a week from surgery and I'm entering week three going: "OMG. I guess I can laugh today!"

Now, to answer a question that an Anonymouse (3) posed about Mamoru's knowledge of Sailor Moon: He figured that the Moon Princess and Usagi were one person, but because of everyone avoiding asking probing questions (for good reason!) he did not know who Sailor Moon was, and assumed she was trying to remain further undercover than the Inners, who were 'obviously' protecting Serenity. Mamoru's pretty perceptive, but even he and Ami have their moments!

And another person brought up that changing the past will change the future so...why would the Black Moon do that? Honestly, I'm going to answer that I don't think the Black Moon ever thought their time travel plan out more beyond: "Do bad things and hope!" Because according to most time travel theory (Butterfly Effect, Grandfather Paradox, Alternate Realities) they're really, really probably screwing themselves. When it came down to the end of the R season, Wiseman was manipulating everyone to get what HE wanted. He didn't seem to care beyond his initiative.

Things are just ramping up. And I make it much worse for myself in this chapter. ^^; Oh, my.

 **Changed Fate**

 **Chapter 4/?**

 **Another New One**

Queen Beryl killed three youma after Zoisite finished his report. Even Kunzite was surprised by her restraint.

"That...BITCH! Thinks she can take over this world?! Kill me?! I'll show her. I'll wretch this planet from her hands. I'll torture each of those Senshi and Tuxedo Mask in front of her!" Queen Beryl seethed, her face as red as her hair. "What did you say the name of this prince is?!"

Zoisite took a step forward, glad he hadn't rolled his eyes at any point during her tirade. "His name is Prince Diamond. I told Rubeus that I would tell him as soon as possible If we wanted an alignment."

"Well tell him we will align with him to destroy the Sailor Senshi." Beryl had snapped, her calm undone by the news of their untimely defeat. "I want them dead. And I want that Moon Princess' head on a pike!"

Kunzite and Zoisite bowed together and quickly left the throne room, still and tall until they were far from it.

"I didn't think we were getting out of there alive," Kunzite admitted. "And you didn't tell her that there are now five Senshi."

Zoisite ran his hands through his ponytail and glared at Kunzite. "As you already put it, we were lucky to get out alive. I'll tell her about the new one later."

"What's the new Senshi?" Kunzite asked as they rounded a corner in hopes of finding something drinkable in one of their rooms. They'd learned early that the Dark Kingdom didn't supply you with much beyond what your own powers could create.

"Sailor Venus," Zoisite drawled. "Looks a lot like that Sailor V girl who was running around before Sailor Moon. When Jadeite was attempting the Dark Agency as a way of infiltrating Earth."

Kunzite opened his mouth to remind Zoisite about Jadeite's fate, when he felt something tingle in the back of his head. A thought, a glance, some sort of memory, and then it was gone. It left him feeling cold inside. They had stopped walking, or rather, Kunzite had.

"Uh, you coming for the whiskey? I still have some of that." Zoisite studied Kunzite and then shrugged off his strange behavior. "Maybe we can slip some to...no don't want to waste my good whiskey."

Kunzite let the remark pass. "Yes, whiskey."

OoOoO

"Did Usagi-chan get detention?" Luna asked. It was nearly five o' clock, and there was no sign of Usagi and Chibi-Usa. Or Tuxedo Mask.

"Nope. Turned in her homework, showed up on time, stayed awake." Mako shrugged.

"She has to pick up Chibi-Usa from school, remember?" Ami told them. "She'll be here soon."

Minako tipped her head back. "And don't expect Tuxedo Mask to show up early. He'll want to make an entrance."

Rei rolled her eyes but then suddenly stopped, realizing she was right. Professional superheroes. "Well, she still needs to be here before him."

"GUYS!" Usagi yelled as she came into view from the steps.

"You guys don't give her enough credit," Artemis scolded. "She's your princess!"

Ami and Rei exchanged amused glances. If only he knew. Amusement faded when Mamoru, holding Usagi's hand, with Chibi-Usa skipped merrily behind them, appeared. The three of them sped up to meet the girls right in front of Rei's home.

Usagi smiled. "Hi! We had to stop and get Chibi-Usa, and a snack. But it's just about five, so we're not late!"

"Ahahahaha, Usagi-chan, can I talk to you?" Minako laughed, high pitched and as fake–normal as possible.

"Su-URE!" Usagi was jerked to the side of the house by Minako, nearly unhinging her arm. "Minako-chan, what the hell?" she hissed.

"I should be asking you that. So I will. Usagi-chan, what the hell? Why is that guy here? And, wait a minute, why were you holding hands?!" Secret identities forgotten, Minako launched into the much more important aspect of life: Boys. "Are you dating? You ARE! I can see it! Have you kissed? How far have you gone? How are...Oh my, how did this happen? Have you been holding out?"

Usagi looked over her shoulder. "Mamo-chan decided - "

"MAMO-CHAN?!"

Slapping her hand over Minako's mouth, Usagi glared at her new friend. "Yes. Mamo-chan decided that it would be easier if we walked here together."

"What's his name, Usagi-chan?!"

"Chiba Mamoru. You haven't met him, have you?"

"Um, no. But WHY would he need to be here?"

Usagi smiled like the Cheshire Cat. "Well, we invited him, didn't we?"

Minako looked miffed and then blinked in clarity. "Oh. My. God."

Usagi walked back and joined her friends. Minako was two steps behind, wondering if she should laugh, cry, tell everyone, or just enjoy the next few minutes.

"Is everything okay, Minako-chan?" Rei asked, her hands clearly gripping her long sleeves.

"Yep."

Everyone's eyes, even Mamoru's, snapped to her face. Which was calm, serene, and not fooling anyone.

"So, we can just...?" Ami said slowly.

"Start the meeting, anytime. Let's go inside so no one overhears, though!"

Mamoru shrugged. "That's why I'm here."

"Shit, you're kidding me!" Mako exclaimed. Then she laughed. "Well, at least now Usagi-chan doesn't have a crush on two different guys."

"Mako-chan!" Usagi hissed.

"Come on, Usagi. You two were holding hands the whole way here." Chibi-Usa stuck her tongue out.

The group continued down to Rei's room, Chibi-Usa and Usagi started arguing, though not about anything of substance. Mamoru placed himself between them to try and stop the pointless fight. They were still arguing after Mako had placed her snacks out and Rei had brought tea. They quickly stopped arguing and soon were discussing how great the cookies and muffins were, their pointless fight completely forgotten.

 _Yep._ Luna decided. _Related._

"So," Luna began, standing on the table and facing Mamoru, "you are Tuxedo Mask?"

"I am."

Rei put her hand to her forehead, clearly exasperated. "I cannot believe I didn't see this."

"I didn't figure out your identities until a few days ago," Mamoru told them. "And I only did because Chibi-Usa said Usako," several of the Senshi raised their eyebrows, "was the Moon Princess. Then I realized that you being her friends lined up with new Senshi showing up.

Mako laughed. "So, I guess that's that. Did you tell him anything else, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi shook her head. "I figured we should all talk today."

"If you don't mind going first, Mamoru," Artemis suggested. "How do you come into all this?"

Mamoru had been up all night thinking about this. And he still didn't know how to not sound stupid, or desperate, or...All he could do when he thought about this last night was remind himself to tell the truth.

"When I was six, my parents died in a car accident." The clinking of glasses stopped. "I survived, but I have amnesia. I don't remember them, or my life before that. All I have is a dream of someone, a princess, telling me to find the Ginzuishou. Every night since the accident. When I got older, I began to look for it."

"Stealing for it," Minako reminded him.

"I gave all of it back!"

"You said something about dreaming of Usagi? As the princess?" Luna asked.

Leaning back, Mamoru continued. "When I talked to Usako last night she had no idea about the dreams. Or why I'm still having them. Anyway. Then it got...strange. Odango hit me in the face with a test paper and that night I felt something was off. I've had anxiety before, but this was so much more. I was being pulled somewhere. I tried ignoring it, but I just got a headache. It got worse, and I finally ran, just followed my instincts. And that's when Sailor Moon and I met. And that's why we always meet."

Minako set her cup down. "Do you sense when she's in danger or when she transforms?"

"I don't know. I guess we can do some experiments on that now. Well, anyway, I woke up the day after Nephrite died knowing that I needed the Nijizuishou. The princess told me to look for them. Then Chibi-Usa fell from the future and nothing else."

"That's not much to go on." Luna sat next to Artemis. "But you're still having the dreams?"

Mamoru nodded. "I can clearly see her, Usako, now. But she's different. The princess, she's Usako but just a little different. Her hair...and she has a crescent moon like you, Luna. I just realized I'm talking to a cat...Anyway. She says she still needs the Ginzuishou."

Ami furrowed her brow. "That may be why you're still having them."

"What do you mean, Ami-chan?" Mako asked.

"The princess is asking Mamoru-san for help. And while we know that Usagi-chan is the Moon Princess, she hasn't awoken yet." Ami paused, thinking the theory over. "Yet. Usagi-chan hasn't awoken to being the princess. And the Ginzuishou is, from what Luna told us, sealed. If we unseal the Ginzuishou, Usagi will awaken as the princess."

"And that should make me stronger?"

"Just having the Ginzuishou will do that," Luna explained. "But whatever power you had in your past life with surface."

"What if I had no power in my past life?"

Minako shrugged. "Well, what does that matter? You're still you, and you kick some butt that way."

Usagi slumped. "Only as Sailor Moon. I'm only useful as Sailor Moon or the princess. Usagi can't do anything."

"Usagi-chan!" Mako gasped. "Why would you think that?"

Ami stopped making notes and instead smiled at Usagi. "I didn't want to be friends with you because of the Senshi, or the past life. You decided to like me as me, no one else has ever done that."

"Usagi." Rei's voice was a little gruff. "You're a complete idiot if you think that we're just with you because of what's happening. We'd be your friends no matter what."

Mako pushed some of her snacks towards Usagi. "No one has ever become friends with me because of rice balls.

"I guess we should get to work on finding those Nijizuishou!" Usagi sniffed as Mamoru gave her a handkerchief. "But they could literally be anywhere!"

Rei lifted an elegant eyebrow. "Lucky for you, we've got a Nijizuishou locator."

"Really?" Mamoru was stunned.

Usagi rummaged around in her bookbag and brought out her Moon Stick, placing it on the table in front of her. "It went off last time, but I wasn't paying attention because of Naru-chan." She sighed. "So, I guess this started when I was late to school back in April..."

Usagi detailed meeting Luna, each of the Senshi, that they were supposed to protect the Moon Princess, and the Ginzuishou, and what they knew up until Chibi-Usa had fallen into their laps. Then she slowed down and began to talk about things that they knew very little about.

"Another Senshi appeared, Sailor Pluto." Usagi was still in shock over what they had learned over the last few days. There was so much to do. "She protects time, and she can't leave her post. We talked briefly and she said she couldn't tell us much because it's, um, what was the word?"

"Taboo," Ami supplied.

"Right. Taboo. Anyway," Usagi kept going. "Chibi-Usa came back here and apparently she was supposed to go back in time but went too far."

"Too far?" Mamoru repeated.

Ami nodded. "Yes. We're supposed to meet her when we're older. All Sailor Pluto said about it is that fate changed."

Frowning, Mamoru sat back and puzzled on the new information. "Cryptic."

Usagi continued. "She was followed by those people who attacked yesterday. They're called the Black Moon. And you saw what it took to beat them."

"Did she tell you anything else?" Mamoru asked.

Minako swallowed her food and jumped into the conversation. "There's three other Sailor Senshi – Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn! But they're not supposed to wake up yet. And then she told Usagi-chan to watch out for race cars."

Mamoru blinked. "Race cars?"

Mako laughed. "Yeah, we don't know what she was talking about. But then she got worried that she'd said too much and left."

"So, we know we need the Ginzuishou, but first we need the Nijizuishou." Mamoru went over the finer points of what they had gone discussed. "There's other Senshi to wake up, and we probably need their help. We need to defeat two enemies. We need to protect Chibi-Usa. We need to protect Usako. Did I miss anything?"

"No, all those impossible tasks seem about right," Rei muttered.

Usagi sighed and banged her head on the table. "This _is_ impossible, isn't it?"

"No. No, it's not," Minako firmly insisted. "We're thinking of all of these tasks as being disconnected, but they're all the same thing. We have to defeat our enemy."

"Enemies, Minako-chan," Mako reminded her. "There's two of them now."

"And if they haven't started working together by now, I'll eat my cat."

"Eat my HAT, Minako-chan! Eat my hat," Ami correct her quickly as Artemis moved closer to Rei.

Minako waved her hand and continued on with her pep talk. "We start looking for the Senshi. The Nijizuishou are secondary."

"What?!" Rei jerked her head to Minako. "Are you kidding?!"

"If the Dark Kingdom gets them, we'll be destroyed!" Luna gasped.

"I don't like this at all." Mamoru narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. "Minako-chan, why? If they get all of the Nijizuishou they can get the Ginzuishou."

"Yeah, but do you think we're going to live through these fights if we have to go against two monsters? The one that is created when we take out the Nijizuishou, and the one sent by the Black Moon at the same time?" No one said anything. "Yeah. We need more fire power first. Then we can move into everything else. Except!" She winked at Chibi-Usa. "Protecting princesses, of course. We always do that."

"How will we know them?" Usagi asked.

"Maybe that should be our first task," Rei mused. "If we awaken the powers of the Princess in Usagi, she might be able to sense the new Senshi."

Usagi looked at her hands. Her normal, clean, unblemished hands. She clenched her fists. There were six already, seven if you counted Sailor Pluto. She smiled sadly and tilted her head back.

"I don't know how to do that. I might need the Ginzuishou to do that. And we need them to make sure we survive to get the Ginzuishou."

Everyone in the room groaned.

Stalemate.

"Sailor Pluto said to watch out for race cars. There's a really big race that's going to be held at Fuji International this weekend," Mamoru mused. "That's the only race car I can think of. Maybe we need to go there."

OoOoO

Kaiou Michiru's eyes fluttered open.

The dream again.

It had started out so firm, so straight forward.

The Silence was coming. The end of times, Armageddon, Ragnarock, or whatever you wanted to call it. Somehow, she had a hand in what she was seeing, because she had to stop it. There were two possible outcomes depending who held the Grail. Two possible Messiah's – one of Silence or Light.

If the Messiah of Silence were to awaken, if the Talismans resonate, there will be no hope for the Light. She knew that, but she still wanted to ignore the feeling the dreams gave her. That she was incomplete. That she had something else other than what she had been doing.

And now there was someone else in the dreams. Another woman, no someone her own age, with flowing hair, gold as a harvest moon. This girl had appeared in a couple of her nightmares. She was always yelling over the roar of the wind. Michiru could never hear her.

Tonight, she had.

"Awaken! Your mission has changed! There is still time before the Silence. You must join the fight!"

"Awaken? To what? What is more important than the Silence?"

 _Awaken!_

She rolled over, preparing to go back to sleep, but stopped just as quickly. In the moonlight were two objects. One looked distinctly like a pen with a large turquoise crescent, the color of her hair. The other was a mirror surrounded by what appeared to be ivory; hand carved, light color in the right places. Perfect.

Michiru sat up and examined the items, restraining herself from touching them. But, God, they were so familiar. She sat up further and looked in the mirror, seeing her eyes reflected in there. But, not her eyes...rather they were harder, as though they had seen so much more than her fifteen-year-old self had.

Her innocent eyes widened as she knew what she had to say and do.

"Oh, Princess! What's happened that you need my help? Uranus, where are you?"

OoOoO

Just in case Pluto had been referring to a race car CRASH the Senshi and Tuxedo Mask, without Chibi-Usa, sat far enough up from the track that they wouldn't get hit by flying debris, but they could still see. They were picking numbers and cheering and booing at random. Fighting had ensued and now Mamoru and Ami were separating the others by sitting in between them.

They were hopeful, though, because both Rei and Mamoru had come to the bus station with prophetic dreams. Rei had seen 'a girl with a mirror' in the fire that morning. Mamoru said there were mirrors everywhere in his dreams, but that didn't change what Serenity was asking for.

An omen, a test, they didn't know. But it did mean that Minako refused to look in any reflective surface, even refusing the window seat on the bus they took.

So far nothing had happened, but they were very entertained. Despite the lack of crashes.

It was still early.

Usagi cheered for her favorite, number thirty. Because of her birthday, she reasoned. Also, because he was currently in third.

And maybe she and Minako had made a bet about someone buying another dinner if their racer won.

Maybe.

"Guys, I'm gonna go get some juice!" Usagi yelled over the cars. "I'll be right back."

She climbed down the bleachers and went looking for a vending machine or a concession stand. It was warm outside, she just wanted something cool. But as she was looking around, she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Usagi bowed. "I wasn't looking."

The girl she bumped into smiled and bowed back. "That's okay, I should have looked where I was going as well." She had brilliant aqua hair that tumbled down her back, and she was dressed sharply in a skirt and nice shirt, somehow managing to walk in heels.

She was also clutching a mirror.

Usagi gasped and then closed her mouth very quickly. "Y-you have a very pretty mirror. What is it made of?"

Looking at the mirror fondly, she remembered what it was. "It was a gift from a very important woman. I'm not sure what it is made of. It looks like ivory, but it's not something of this world, I think."

"Really?" Usagi was breathless.

The pretty girl's eyes widened and she pulled Usagi towards her and to the right. "LOOK OUT!"

Usagi was expecting food to come hurdling towards her. Or maybe a table.

It was a race car, an entire race car, the same number thirty car Usagi had been cheering on earlier. Following it was one of the new youma from the Black Moon.

The new girl grabbed Usagi's hand. "Let's go, Princess!" she exclaimed.

"Princess?" Usagi gasped as she was jerked away from the scene. "Wait!"

They ducked into a private toilet, locking the door after them.

"What's going on?" Usagi demanded. "Who are you and what do you know?"

The other girl, still poised and barely breathing hard, introduced herself. "My name is Kaiou Michiru. I awoke the other morning and I don't remember everything, there's so much. But I remember you, Princess. And I remember that I am a Senshi." She looked distant. Troubled. "Though, I am not supposed to be here. You have a guard and this is not my duty."

Time was changing faster than Ami had calculated if the new Senshi were searching for their princess. Usagi furrowed her brow because Ami was doing her best to keep track of what they knew to be different based upon things Chibi-Usa was telling them, which was very little, and what Sailor Pluto had said.

"Do you not want to help us?"

Michiru searched for the right words. "I am honored to fight as a Senshi, Princess."

"Usagi."

"Usagi. But my duty as an Outer Senshi is to protect against threats from outside of the solar system. That is happening, my dreams...but I was told I had time and to find you."

There was a crash and Usagi yelped before she collected herself. "Well, I'm the princess, and as the princess I say that's not your duty anymore."

They could hear the sounds of fighting outside the door.

"Then what is my duty, Princess?" Michiru had only seen her for a minute, but it was enough. Enough to remember that she had been alone, and that seeking the warmth of her princess' smile, even so long ago, lifted that burden.

It was enough to remember that Serenity deserved this second chance, and she wanted to help.

"To protect this planet." Usagi had never given an order in her life. Not one that meant changing someone's perspective, or something that would impact their lives. "And all of the inhabitants. That means no matter what the threat is, you have to stand against it. And that's an order!"

Michiru was taken aback in shock, but then her face softened. "Well, I can't disobey a direct order."

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER MAKE UP!"

"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"

OoOoO

"Where is she?!" Jupiter yelled as she ducked again.

"I don't know!" Tuxedo Mask tossed back to Jupiter, just as worried. "She's here!"

The area became shrouded in bubble fog.

"But she's just not...here?" Mars offered.

Venus rolled her eyes. "Put a foot in it, Mars."

"Sock, Sailor Venus. Put a sock in it," Mercury corrected her.

"No, I didn't misspeak this time."

Mars glared at Venus and made a rude gesture.

"How old are you, eight?" Jupiter asked. "Attack the damn thing!"

"SUPRE-"

"DEEP SUBMERGE!"

"Uh, Mercury?" Venus was uncertain as they watched the Black Moon's youma, a pink creature with crater skin, writhe on the ground in a puddle of water.

"Not me."

The fog cleared and standing across from the Inner Senshi, clutching a mirror, was a new Senshi beside Sailor Moon.

"Now!" Sailor Moon ordered. "While it's on the ground!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

"DEEP SUBMERGE!"

Like the one they have fought before, it crumbled into a pile of dust, leaving behind a jewel with a perverted crescent moon, which faded.

"Oh, Winbu-chan!" A female voice floated around them, a pout and whine to it.

"Who's there?" Sailor Moon demanded, everyone looking for the origin of the voice.

A woman with white hair, a light blue outfit, and an upside down, black crescent moon on her forehead appeared before the Senshi. She was pouting, and she looked very put out.

"That was my favorite Droid, Sailor Senshi!"

Tuxedo Mask moved so he was standing in front of Sailor Moon. Protecting her. "Who are you?"

"So nice to meet the future of this world." She thought on her words and shrugged. "Well, for now. I am Berthier of the Black Moon. I thought Winbu-chan would do more, but anyway. I'm here as a messenger today."

Sailor Moon looked around the newly destroyed stadium. "A messenger? You hurt people today. You could have killed someone because you had to deliver a message?" Her eyes flashed. "Even Jadeite could project himself over the city to issue challenges!"

"Hmmm...and when we met with Queen Beryl yesterday she told us he's on ice right now for his many failures." Berthier giggled. "But the message is from Queen Beryl and the prince of the Black Moon, Prince Diamond-sama. They wish for you to surrender Earth now to avoid useless conflicts and pain for those on this planet."

"First! I do not own the Earth, it's not mine to surrender," Sailor Moon stood firmly and kept her voice level. "Second! Even if it was, I wouldn't do it. If anyone wants to rule the Earth for themselves without the love of the people and planet first in their hearts they're going to have to go through me."

"And the rest of us!" Jupiter added, getting cries of agreement with hers.

Berthier sighed. "We figured you'd say that."

"So why did you ask?" Mars was indignant, though a little apathetic.

"Professional courtesy."

Sailor Neptune shrugged. "Well, I guess we can't fault them for being polite."

Berthier did a quick count and then frowned. "Who are you? There are only supposed to be six Sailor Senshi in this time period."

Neptune looked to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, puzzled. "They're time travelers," Tuxedo Mask hastily explained. Neptune looked at the tuxedo-clad man with suspicion. "Everything's apparently changed because of them."

"So, you're the reason my mission has changed," Neptune mused, though she was smirking. "Protected by Neptune, the planet of oceans. Guardian of the deep sea! I am Sailor Neptune. And I am here to protect this planet."

Bertheir smiled crookedly. "I wouldn't count on one more Sailor Senshi making a difference. It didn't in the future." With a giggle she vanished, leaving them alone with the panicked and injured.

"She's lying," Tuxedo Mask said. "Chibi-Usa said that the other Senshi we're looking for are never on planet. There's a chance that your future self doesn't even know what's happened yet."

"Well we are starting this out strangely," Sailor Neptune said. "Who are you?"

"Sailor Neptune?" Venus was astonished that they'd found someone, or someone had found them, so quickly. "How did you find us? Sailor Moon, how did you find her? This is amazing!"

Sailor Neptune was about to reply but she suddenly took in a sharp breath and looked to where the Droid had left a giant hole in the wall. A racer in his suit with short sandy blonde hair was studying it in awe. He turned to the Senshi and whistled.

"Shit, my car! What the hell just happened?" he asked. "That monster...is it gone?"

"It's gone," Sailor Moon confirmed. "Is anyone hurt? Are you okay?"

Jerking his thumb back towards the track, the driver said, "We've got emergency crews here in case there's a crash so they're already being taken care of. And my pit said there's more on the way. But there would be a lot worse if it weren't for you. So, thanks."

Sailor Moon then realized he was number thirty and she grinned. "Hey, I was hoping you'd win. You were so awesome in the race today!"

Putting on a charming smile, the young man winked at Sailor Moon. "Wow, most famous person is Japan is a fan of mine? I'm honored." Sailor Moon blushed. "I guess that means I'll have to step up at the next race. You'll come and watch?"

"Tenou-san," Sailor Neptune began with a sigh, recognizing the driver and realizing who 'he' was. _Still a flirt. At least she's still alive._ "Don't lead the poor girl on like that."

"Sailor..."

"Neptune."

"Sailor Neptune, I'm not asking her on a date. Just ensuring my fanbase."

Neptune raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Of course." She looked at the other Sailor Senshi. "I suppose we should leave before things get more interesting."

"Sounds like another long explanation!" Venus quipped as they made their way out of the track. "I'm really tired of those."

Sailor Moon hesitated, stopping to look back at driver. Sailor Neptune and Tuxedo Mask stopped with her.

"What is it?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

"It's just...him. There's something about him."

Sailor Neptune took Sailor Moon's arm and guided her away. "She's not ready yet, Sailor Moon."

" _She?_ " Sailor Moon gasped. "Wait, he's...she's..."

"If she was ready," Neptune continued, "she would have recognized me or you."

They detransformed in a secluded area outside of the track and the seven of them made their way towards the nearest bus stop, passing by the chaos of people leaving and emergency crews arriving.

"I'll make it quick," Michiru said. "I am Kaiou Michiru. All I know is I'm a Senshi, and my new duty is to protect our princess. Everything else will have to wait until we get somewhere more private. I suspect your story is much more interesting than mine."

They rushed onto the bus when it arrived, barely making it before the police started questioning everyone who was leaving. "Good thing we decided to wait," Rei muttered as more and more people lined up at the bus stop. "Kaiou-san, how old are you?"

"Fifteen. I'm a third year junior high school student at Moto Azabu Junior High."

Mamoru snapped his fingers. "I thought I recognized you! I'm a second year high school student at Moto Azabu High. We were in school together."

"Oh? I'm sorry, I keep to myself a lot. But," she looked into her mirror, "I probably won't go to high school with you. My dreams are sending me into another path."

"What other path?" Minako asked.

Michiru couldn't help but smile at her new comrades. "I guess the same path that you are on now, too."

 **To Be Continued...**

In the manga/Crystal we're never really told how Neptune and Uranus awaken. We only know that they awaken, they have their Talismens, they have been in Mugen for a while, under cover, and they know their past lives. In the 90's anime, somehow Neptune awakens and then she awakens Uranus. So, hey, here's to trying to figure THAT out.

Hopefully I'll have something up next weekend! Thank you again for your continued support!


	6. We Need More Senshi

I'm so sorry! I know I said I'd get things out as fast as possible, but the surgery pretty much kept me down for an entire month, and then I broke my friggin' toes, and then I got sick. Again. I'm ready for fall or winter!

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, liked, and followed this! I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

 **Changed Fate**

 **Chapter 5/?**

 **We Need More Senshi**

Once back at the Hikawa Jinja they filled Michiru in on "What's happening now."

Rei's room was getting cramped, but there was still plenty of space for Michiru to sit back against a bookcase and silently process all of the information she had just been given. The future. A child. No Ginzuishou. And two enemies had become allies.

"We're going to need more Senshi," Michiru said breathily.

"Like that one you said wasn't ready?" Minako asked.

Michiru jerked her head up. "She doesn't know me."

"And we didn't know Usagi the first time we saw her," Mako pointed out. "Or even the third. That didn't mean we weren't Senshi."

Shaking her head resolutely, Michiru protested. "She's probably having the same dreams I am. When she's ready, her pen will present itself to her. Like mine did."

Luna stretched and leapt off Usagi's lap so she could see Michiru better. "If she is a Senshi, we need her. You're more powerful than the others, and she might be, too."

"Yeah, how is that fair, anyway?" Minako whined. "I'm the leader of the Senshi, I should be more powerful!"

"Hmm, maybe I'm supposed to be leader?" Michiru teased.

"No way!"

"But maybe!"

"Usagi-chan, tell her I'm the leader!"

Usagi laughed, trying to hide her own uneasiness.

"But it's a fair question," Ami supplied, breaking the festive mood. "You said your transformation phrase has the word 'planet' in it. Ours doesn't. You seem to be more attuned to spiritual anomalies from what you're saying. Your attack is more powerful, we could see from just today. Do you know why?"

Michiru straightened her perfect clothes and spoke of The Silence. "My dreams started as just dreams, telling me I had to hurry or the Messiah of Silence would lead this world to darkness. Sometimes I see her fighting with me, others against me. Lately, there's been someone else asking for my help."

She smiled at Usagi. "On the night that I awoke, I had decided to find whoever was seeking me. And touching the pen and my talisman, my Deep Aqua Mirror, I'm glad I'm here. I think, from what we know about time travel, and the way that blue...woman was talking, even she, from the future, isn't sure what to make of this. But, I think we were supposed to meet even further in the future, after the Black Moon."

"If the Black Moon, on Its own, is too dangerous for us at the power level we're at now, there must be a way to power up." Usagi drank down her tea and continued. "Like, maybe we're all getting our powers back from the previous life, and It's just going to take us time to access them."

Ami blinked. "Yes. That's plausible. And if it's true, that we need to unlock our powers, then there should be something at Central that will help me find out."

"What is The Silence?" Mamoru asked, loudly, above the others. "What is happening to this planet?"

"I only know a few things, my memory isn't complete, either," Michiru reminded them. "The Silence will end this world. The Messiah could heal it. The Messiah has power, unimaginable power."

"Where are you going to school for high school if not Moto Azabu?"

Michiru smiled softly. "I have an audition over the summer break to apply for a grant to study at Mugen Academy next year. I don't know if you've been down to that area yet, but you should go. It's so new, but there is something suffocating there. It hurts. But now I know that I was being warned: Something is there."

Mako shook her head. "We can't do three enemies at once!"

Ami's hands were flying over her computer. "No, no, I don't think we have to. Kaiou-san, were you planning on attending before you knew who you were?"

"Yes. Because then I'll be close...I can keep an eye on things every day."

Usagi looked confused. "But, you didn't know anything."

"No, I didn't. I still don't. Just that I have to be there."

Ami was nodding the entire time, needing the information. "If, let's say, you go to Mugen next year and that's when the enemy starts to attack, you were already planning..." Ami tapped her earrings and brought up her visor, though she wasn't transformed. At everyone's blank look she laughed. "Oh, um, I did some modifications on my visor. This is going to be very helpful. Anyway, Sailor Pluto made it sound like we only should be fighting one enemy at a time."

Minako shrugged. "Okay? So?"

Ami nodded confidently as she went through possibilities and theories. "So, if we only fight these enemies one at a time, and we weren't supposed to meet Kaiou-san until after we've fought these two enemies, and additionally taking into account that Kaiou-san would be going to Mugen no matter what because of the dreams she was having, plus we would notice negative energy building up once we were through with our other two enemies-"

Makoto slammed her hand on the table. "Out with it, woman!"

"Statistically," Ami continued, "we would be meeting Kaiou-san after spring semester starts. Whatever is going on with Mugen can wait as long as we defeat our current enemies in ten months or less."

Mamoru blew out a breath. "That's incredibly plausible, Ami-chan."

Ami, for once, looked pleased and not tomato red. "Yes. After this is all over, we can prepare for what's next."

Minako moaned and threw her hands up. "So, great, we're going to spend at least the next twelve months fighting!"

Usagi felt her throat constrict and she set her cup down. She was finding it difficult to follow what they were saying, that it was almost as though they were speaking in a tunnel. Some things made sense, but there was only one thing that had suddenly changed. Their NEXT enemy. With the knowledge that sometime in 902 years the Black Moon would attack again. And, at that time, she was the Queen.

She managed to keep her worry down when Minako suddenly addressed her, but not before Rei caught Usagi's eye, frowning.

OoOoO

Mamoru walked Usagi home. They talked about the two new Senshi, though Michiru continued to insist they wait until Haruka awoke on her own. That only left them finding Saturn...and possibly ordering Pluto into the fight. They weren't sure Usagi could do that, and Usagi showed reluctance to do so. She and Michiru kept her previous order a secret.

"I guess I understand that Michiru doesn't want the person she loves to be in more danger," Usagi said.

Mamoru chuckled. "You picked up on that, too?"

Usagi grinned. "I don't think It's just cause she thinks she's pretty, either. I think it's way older than that. Michiru didn't tell us everything, but I think she's like Minako – she has some information and feelings about the past. About whatever it was that happened before."

"She's in love with her because she was in the past? That doesn't sound right."

"I bet you an all you can eat buffet she's been following Haruka-san's career for months, not really knowing why. Now she's got some messy memories and dreams about it and isn't sure about her attraction to her anymore. But you can't help who you love, can you?" Mamoru stopped walking and Usagi looked up at him. "Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru took Usagi's hand and took a step forward before lowering his head and kissing her gently. Usagi's eyes closed and she refused to break the kiss. Usagi gripped Mamoru's hair and moaned, unbelieving how warm she was, how filled. Mamoru deepened the kiss and for a moment there was nothing else, nobody else. No worries about Senshi, the Dark Kingdom, Black Moon, or the Ginzuishou.

When they drew away, Mamoru pulled Usagi closer to him and held her as the sun set; questions that he wanted to ask, to know the answers to.

Had he been someone in the past? And who? How was he related to the Senshi and Usagi?

And the future, what was he there? He hadn't overlooked that Chibi-Usa refused to say who her father was.

OoOoO

Michiru set her mail and take-out down on the counter of her kitchen with a heavy sigh. Luna had said she would have a communicator for her as soon as possible, until then she had given the girls her pager number. She might be able to sense an attack, and if not, she would arrive at some point to help. She could at least spend time at that arcade they said they always went to when she was done with her practice.

She grabbed the magazine and her take out and slumped into a chair to eat but choked on her first bite.

Tenou Haruka was on the front page.

Frowning, she tossed the magazine to the floor set her food aside. She'd first seen Haruka at a party held for some charity. She had been the lead violin in the quartet that played at the request of one of her primary donators, Chairman Hino. She had been in a tuxedo, and at first Michiru waved her off as a man, but something about her, or him as she thought, kept her intrigued the whole night.

They hadn't been introduced, but when she and the others had taken their break for dinner, Haruka took over the piano and played like an expert. She listened as the other players gossiped and learned the pianist's name and that 'he' was an up and coming race car driver. Two days later Michiru learned that Haruka Tenou was not only a woman, but also the youngest, and only woman, to be driving in the circuit, and based upon her musical talent she attended, on scholarship, at the new Mugen Academy.

Michiru had been impressed and told herself she was only following an interesting career.

Now, with her vague memories, it was almost comical what had happened.

And while she had very little recollection of the Silver Millennium, she had to wonder if the same thing was happening to Usagi and Mamoru, and they just didn't know it yet. She'd asked the others about it, the only one who hadn't answered was Minako, and she had a feeling that Minako knew a lot more about the relationship than she let on. And not just because of her memories.

Rei was psychic, Ami could sense water, Mako was physically strong, she, herself, could divine using the ocean, and Michiru knew that Minako was sensitive to emotions.

And Usagi and Mamoru were quite emotional. Even when they didn't mean to be.

Her princess.

Michiru closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

She didn't know if she was happy, sad, or afraid. But she was very much alone.

OoOoO

Prince Diamond sat atop his throne, a glass of wine in one hand and Wiseman floating to the side of the other. His brother, Sapphire, stood to the left of the room with Emerald, listening as Rubeus gave his report. They had given the Sailor Senshi an offer to surrender, which had been rejected, and Queen Beryl requested that someone go with Zoisite as he continued to search for the remaining Nijizuishou. There were still four left.

"And there is no historical record on how Neo Queen Serenity created the Ginzuishou?" Diamond asked.

Sapphire answered. "I've gone over every document released by the rulers of Crystal Tokyo, and everything we've been able to hack, and there's no mention of it other than 'It came to Serenity in her time of need.' There's nothing beyond that."

Rubeus rolled his eyes. "I'm going to send Petz and Koan to the Dark Kingdom while Berthier and Calaveras try and find that child."

"What about the Sailor Senshi?" Diamond looked at the hologram that Rubeus had brought of them fighting the last Droid they had sent. It was blurry, he would have to have Sapphire clear up the picture so he could see it better. "They seem to be able to beat our Droids even though they're far from their peak powers."

Rubeus grunted in agreement. "One of the Outer Senshi is helping them. Also something that shouldn't be happening. But she's also not in peak shape, either. We can deal with this. Princess Serenity hasn't awakened yet, so we don't have to match her yet."

"Prince Diamond," The Wiseman rasped. "If we are able to obtain the Nijizuishou, we might be able to stop the princess from ever awakening. We could destroy any chance of Crystal Tokyo from forming, change the entire course of the future. You've already promised your help, two of your lower ranking lieutenants shouldn't be a sacrifice."

Considering his advisors words, Diamond knew he was right. "Yes. Rubeus, let Petz and Koan assist the Dark Kingdom and continue your search. Keep me updated daily."

Rubeus saluted and vanished.

OoOoO

Usagi helped Chibi-Usa put her PJs on and grabbed a brush to start doing her hair. She didn't do too bad, but Usagi knew from experience that it was easier for someone to help when your hair was at the length Chibi-Usa's was. She told Chibi-Usa about Michiru and how they had also found another Senshi, named Haruka.

"Do you know them, too? I mean, you know the, I guess we're being called Inner Senshi now, according to Luna. Anyway, are you _sure_ there's nothing else about them that you can tell me?"

"It's Taboo," Chibi-Usa replied. "One time, Sailor Mercury talked about time travel because I'd met Puu. She told me that the Time Gates couldn't be opened just because we wanted them. And that if you ever time traveled to the past to not talk about the future. Because just being in the past changes the future."

"So that's why you won't say anything? Not even your dad's name?"

Chibi-Usa turned around, her eyes wide but determined. "Especially Papa's name! You might not like him right now! Or or...I don't know! But what if I had told you the Outer Senshi's names? You'd have gone looking for them. And that's not how you met them before."

"Well, I think Pluto's stretching her powers right now, but you're right." Usagi began to pin Chibi-Usa's hair up. "We need their help. If you told me Saturn's name I'd be at her house in ten minutes. Would you recognize her if you saw her?"

"As a normal girl? I don't think so. I didn't even recognize _you._ "

"Point. Well, do they look centered?"

Chibi-Usa examined herself in the mirror and nodded, a grin on her face. "Want me to brush your hair?"

"Yeah!"

They changed spots so Usagi was sitting on the floor and Chibi-Usa was on the bed, letting Usagi's long hair out.

"I wanna meet Michiru-san. I bet she's softicated."

"Sophisticated. And she is. She said she plays the violin and she paints. She goes to the same middle school Mamo-chan did. And she's like Mako-chan and Mamo-chan and she lives alone." She kicked her legs in front of her and stretched. "I can't wait to meet everyone."

OoOoO

Haruka woke up sweating, gasping for breath. She threw off her covers and threw open the nearest window.

"Damn," she swore. "Damn!"

The same dream, every night for weeks now. She was barely sleeping and it was showing in her performance on the track. It was so hot outside, but it felt cool on her overheated skin.

"Can't it just rain?" she whispered, trying to get the images and words out of her head.

But she couldn't.

The darkness, the Silence. The Messiah? Who was the Messiah? Jesus?

She laughed. "Yeah. Jesus. The Silence? Messiah." She put her head in her hands, trying to banish the horrific images.

The dreams weren't clear. It was an information overload, because there were so many other people in them, people she felt she should know. But she couldn't reach them. The truth was she didn't want to. Whatever the dream was, it would pass in time.

But Haruka knew she wouldn't be sleeping the rest of the night. And she groaned when she saw it wasn't even four in the morning. Flopping into her chair she grabbed her remote control. Hopefully there would be something on TV.

OoOoO

Usagi walked into the Crown, exactly one hour and seven minutes later than she had planned on being there. Everyone was already there, even Michiru, playing games or eating some food. All of them celebrating that it was the first day of summer break. She had spent her first hour of break in detention.

"Usagi-chan!" Michiru called from the counter, where she sat drinking tea with Mamoru. Her smile was mischievous, and Usagi braced for it. "Did you really cheer when the bell rang?"

"Mako-chan!" Usagi wailed.

Mako, who was sitting with Rei at a new game, ducked down so she couldn't be seen. All of her friends, even Chibi-Usa and Mamoru, were laughing while Usagi turned red.

"It was just a reflex!"

Ami covered her mouth and forced down her giggles. "Usagi-chan, no wonder you got detention! That's terribly rude!"

"Alright, Chibi-Usa-chan! Get the next one!" Minako yelled as Chibi-Usa went back to playing her game.

Usagi sat on Mamoru's other side and kissed his cheek. "Well, I'll just have to be an hour late one day next semester to make up for it."

"I'm not sure it works that way, Usako," Mamoru chuckled.

Motoki slid Usagi her usual food order with a wink. "Mamoru-kun ordered for you about ten minutes ago."

"Thank you, Mamo-chan."

"I can't believe you cheered," Mamoru shook his head.

Usagi glared at him, a hamburger in one hand and soda in the other. "I have a weapon, you know."

Michiru leaned over and put a finger to her lips. "Usagi-chan, don't threaten your boyfriend where people can hear you. It makes you less credible on the witness stand." She pretended to think it over. "Not that we wouldn't all lie for you anyway."

"I'm right here, Michiru," Mamoru said.

Michiru winked. "You about done, Usagi-chan? Luna wanted all of us downstairs as soon as we could."

Usagi shoved the last bite of food into her mouth and washed it down with soda. "Yeah, and I'm gonna hear it from her, too!"

Everyone made their way to Sailor V games, specifically the one Chibi-Usa was now playing on. Chibi-Usa noticed everyone around her and pouted as she let the Sailor V on the screen die so they could enter the passcode to go down under the arcade.

And no one noticed.

Michiru sat in a poofy chair of the semi-Greek classically decorated control room. She let out a deep breath. "I don't get how they can't see that. We're literally walking through a game counsel."

"People don't see what they don't want to see," Artemis reminded her.

"They always seem to see us while we're fighting," Rei said with a huff.

"But not us, just the Sailor Senshi," Ami clarified.

"Still can't explain it, can you?" Mamoru asked Ami.

Ami glared at the computer which sat in the middle of the room, as though cursing it. "Luna insists that it is glamour, but it must be something else!"

Unable to stop herself, Minako waved her off. "Ami-chan, you shoot water from your hands and can hide items in spacial pockets. A dab of glamour seems weird to you?" Ami pouted. "Ami-chaaaaan, don't do that! You look like Chibi-Usa-chan!"

"Hey!" Chibi-Usa interjected from her spot with Usagi and Mamoru, upon a small stack of pillows. "I don't pout!"

"You pout every night I make you take a bath," Usagi said. Chibi-Usa looked the other way, appearing as innocent as could be.

"Well, all that aside," Luna interrupted before things could get out of control. "This is our daily check in."

Minako took over with a sigh. "If you're still having the same screwy dreams you were yesterday and there are no changes please raise your hand."

Michiru and Mamoru raised their hands.

"If you have seen danger in your normal predictions and they aren't helping us please raise your hand."

Rei raised her hand.

"If you are still running DNA tests on our hair please raise your hand."

Ami rolled her eyes and slowly put her hand up.

"If you baked cookies, please present them now."

Mako pushed a bag of cookies to the center of the circle they were in.

"If you are royalty and still don't remember anything really new about your past life, please raise your hand."

Usagi raised her hand.

"And me, as the leader, opens the floor for any more discussion," Minako concluded as she sat down. Artemis glared at her. "What? I just got everything done in thirty seconds."

Artemis put his paw to his forehead. "That's now that point, Mina!"

"I," a new male voice interrupted from the stairs, "have new business."

The Senshi stood and we all about to transform when the boy, about fourteen or fifteen with brown hair, put his hands up. "Please, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you, I hope. My name is Urawa Ryo and I'm a carrier of a Nijizuishou."

"You're _what_?" Rei gasped.

At that moment Usagi's Moon Stick began to beep and she pulled it out and looked at it. "How?"

The Senshi kept their hands ready, their pens in their grip. How this boy could know their deepest secrets...

He continued, very cautious. "I know all of you are Sailor Senshi. And I know the others who are going to be Senshi soon. As long as all of you promise to not hurt me, can I sit down and tell you what happened? What I know?"

Usagi immediately nodded and motioned for him to come towards her. "Usagi!" Mako hissed, but Usagi ignored her.

"Usagi-chan, I must insist that we at least transform!" Michiru pressed.

"I'm not with your enemy! That's why I hope you can help. You see, when I was really little I was able to feel things. I would know if I should turn right instead of left. One time I pulled someone from a crosswalk and stopped them from being hit by a car. And as I got older I began to see things. Missing people. House fires. And then one day I saw a girl with buns on her head fighting...and that's when everything changed. I knew my past, and I knew what was inside of me.

"But I don't live in Tokyo. I tried every excuse, I saved my money, I even considered calling you guys to get you to come see me because I know what I will become if the Dark Kingdom and that new enemy..."

"The Black Moon," Ami supplied.

Ryo looked up. "Is that them? I don't see much about them, but a lot of what I do see is that they've changed the flow of time." He looked pointedly at Michiru. "I never saw you in my visions. I can honestly say you surprised me when you suddenly arrived. But not anymore. I see the others now. Anyway, my father's job transferred him here for a project this summer. I begged to come, I told my family I wanted to visit Tokyo Tower and Disneyland and they agreed I could come stay with my dad."

Ryo took a deep breath. "I got off the train an hour ago. I don't want to fight you. Get this out of me, Princess."

Usagi kneeled in front of Ryo and placed her hand on his chest. She sucked in a breath. "I feel it. There's power in there. Ami-chan?"

Ami had her computer out and nodded. "There's two different energies in you, Urawa-kun. One is the natural life source every person has, and the other is...the other. It's always been evil when I've scanned it before. This is very neutral."

"Probably because the Nijizuishou is a positive entity trapping a negative one," Mamoru theorized. "When they separate they become one and the other. We need to separate the Nijizuishou from you and not trigger the youma."

Michiru leaned forward and shined her mirror on Urawa, which showed a glowing crystal inside his chest. "It may be impossible to not trigger the youma. But, even if we did, we would be ready for it. We could subdue the youma with minimal effort or trauma."

"That's...actually a good idea," Luna said. "Urawa-kun, is Zoisite coming after you, or anyone else soon? Can you see?"

Urawa nodded grimly. "I'm the next one. And I know it's soon because it's here in Tokyo. If taking the crystal out draws out the youma, it's better to just fight one than also fight the Black Moon, too."

They started talking at once. Plans, theories, did he know what type of youma he was carrying, did he know the other carriers.

Their conversations overlapped and finally came to a screeching halt care of Minako whistling through her fingertips.

"Geeze. I think I'm going to name myself Moderator when I'm in here! Oh, hey, I'm the leader so listen to me! Ryo-kun, why don't you, Ami-chan, and Michiru work out if we can get the thing out of you in the first place? That's the most important thing right now." She divvied up different tasks for the other to do, looking up people based on descriptions that Ryo gave them, making phone calls to excuse what was going to be an extremely late night.

To Be Continued...

I know, it's almost like I'm making it so I don't have to write a ton of fight scenes. And you'd be partially right. They are the bane of my existence. But It's well established that Ryo knows who the Senshi are, and he DOES, finally, seek their help. With more danger looming, I imagine that Ryo would take steps to make things easier. Because if he knew about Zoisite, he can know about Diamond and the rest of the Black Moon.


	7. And The Cards Begin to Fall

WOW! I was floored by the response I got from my last chapter. You guys subscribed like crazy, it was amazing! Thank you so much and please keep reading and reviewing if you can!

In Japan they have a three-semester school year. School starts on April 1st, their summer break goes from July 20th - Early September, and their winter break is the end of December – mid January. I got my dates mixed up, and thought it was June 20th that everyone went on break! So, I'm not going back and changing it because I have too much planned around Usagi's birthday. Sorry!

Also, huge thank you out to TropicalRemix for letting me know about my double post! 3

 **Changed Fate**

 **Chapter 6/?**

 **And the Cards Begin to Fall...**

Chibi-Usa held both Usagi and Mamoru's hands as they walked towards Mamoru's apartment. Luna had pointed out several weeks ago that if something happened, they might need to hide. Particularly if the Black Moon discovered Chibi-Usa. All of the Senshi had their essentials in the Command Center, except Usagi. She kept her things, along with Chibi-Usa's, at Mamoru's home. Sometimes the two spent the night and it had become easier to stay with their personal items there.

They were originally going to drop Chibi-Usa off at the house and the only Usagi and Mamoru were going to meet up with the Senshi. Until they remembered that they would be leaving Chibi-Usa completely open if the enemy attacked.

After a few minutes, Mamoru was carrying Usagi's and his bags, but Chibi-Usa was carrying her backpack, proclaiming her maturity over Usagi who couldn't even carry her own bag. Luckily, they were going straight to meet everyone at the train station.

They were going to try and remove Ryo's Nijizuishou without turning him into a youma, but if it didn't work they wanted as few people around as possible. They were taking the train outside of Tokyo, and they were going somewhere far enough that they'd be removed from general population. They would be doing a lot of off-path hiking.

As far as all their families knew, they were spending their first few days of summer vacation camping.

They packed into one rail car, Michiru and Mamoru had purchased everyone tickets, and since it was the beginning of the week, tourism was light. They spread out in the car, Ami and Chibi-Usa doing their summer homework, Usagi and Mamoru sitting together closely in the front. Mako was relaxing with her feet up on the seat, while Michiru sat quietly with Ryo and they talked of what little of the past and future they knew. Nearby, Minako sat and quietly listened, pretending she wasn't listening, while Rei took the time to keep Artemis and Luna entertained.

The train ride wasn't too long, and they took a bus to the nearby camping grounds. However, while some people were getting ready to stay at the state sponsored parks, the Senshi all had another plan. Together, the nine of them slipped into the woods and walked and walked and walked until the stars were all that lit the sky.

Mamoru stopped. "I think we're far enough. I don't hear or feel anyone."

The others stopped as well and listened. Only the sounds of the night, so strange to their ears, were audible.

"So far from water," Amy mused as she looked around.

"No," Michiru clarified. "Just the ocean. There's still water. Here." She took Ami's hand and they both touched the earth. After a moment they opened their eyes and then pointed north. "A river, in that direction."

"Betcha I can find some oak trees!" Mako quipped.

Rei snapped her fingers and sparks danced between them. "I found the fire."

Minako held up her pack. "I've got food!"

"What does that have to do with love, o' Senshi of Love and Beauty?" Rei mocked.

"Please, have you seen who's sucking all the love in the air up?" Minako pointed to Usagi and Mamoru.

Everyone, even Ryo, laughed.

The happy moment passed and Ryo sighed. "You guys didn't have to do this for me. I mean, this is all...I can pay you back for the train and everything."

"Ryo-kun," Mamoru interrupted. "You're going to learn very quickly that we don't negotiate. You've already given Ami-chan information on how to scan for people who aren't showing signs. We've found a place we can bring them to help. Now hurry up before Usako tries to help cook dinner."

"Don't worry, Mamo-chan!" Chibi-Usa called. "Usagi and I are getting firewood!" She grabbed Usagi's wrist and dragged her into the woods, even as Usagi tried to yell at her boyfriend that she could cook. "Come on, Usagi!"

Minako stepped up behind Ryo and whispered. "You know who the father is?"

Ryo didn't jump but slowly nodded. "I heard from a Senshi with keys that there are certain things that I couldn't tell you guys. Things that could alter time. More than all of us already are."

And there were other things, not just his silence, that she had sworn him to. As soon as the Nijizuishou was removed from him, he was going back home to his mother. He knew that there was a possible future for him and Ami, if he pursued it. But this new future, this changed future, opened up a much different option. One that would only cause him pain if he stayed.

"You met Sailor Pluto!" Mako exclaimed, overhearing his whisper. "No way!"

"Well, I was told I couldn't confirm or deny that."

Michiru shook her head. "Sounds like Pluto."

They began to unroll their sleeping bags and set up the camp for the night. Rei was in charge of the fire pit and as soon as Usagi and Chibi-Usa arrived with the kindling a roaring fire was going.

It was already late, and the next day was going to be filled with a new trial. They made dinner of traditional camping foods that Michiru insisted everyone in America ate. She had friends, apparently, from all over the world. Hotdogs, frozen hamburger patties, potatoes for baking in the fire, and some bread and dessert made by Mako.

Then, as it was now dark, it was time to get ready for bed – and something no one except perhaps Mamoru and Michiru had placed bets on: The declaration from Minako that the boys had better not peak while all the girls changed into their pajamas.

Usagi met Mamoru's eyes and he winked at her, causing her to blush and turn away so Mamoru wouldn't see the sheer giddiness she was feeling on her face. That he would even joke about seeing her naked...But, still...

Crisis averted when Artemis reminded Minako that he lived in her room and had never seen her naked, why would she think anyone else would?

That had, of course, started the next crisis of Minako insisting her body was beautiful while chasing Artemis around with one of the spoons they had used to cook.

That crisis took about ten minutes to just stop itself as both Minako and Artemis called a truce so they could catch their breath.

The men in the group stepped far off, with Luna there waiting with them as well, all the while rolling her eyes and grumbling about how her memories didn't indicate that they could possibly be this crazy. Mamoru was inclined to disagree, somehow how the Senshi were acting felt right. Like a distant memory, something treasured but almost forgotten.

As they walked away, all of them heard Chibi-Usa's voice ask the girls, "Why would anyone want to look at someone naked, anyway?"

The guys moved much faster so that when they were out of range, they could all laugh, glad that they had been forced out for a few minutes.

Two people would keep two-hour watches with the last shift ending at eight in the morning. It had taken Minako, Usagi, Mako, and Chibi-Usa to beg for a late wake up. Their first full day of summer break, they had argued. Ryo could wait two more hours, certainly!

Mako and Ryo had volunteered to take the first shift, even though everyone had said Ryo didn't need to do this. He just smiled and insisted that he pull his weight.

Everyone was in a circle, but it was easy to see that Usagi and Mamoru had put their sleeping bags as close together as Luna allowed. As it was, their hands were still close enough to touch. Chibi-Usa was sleeping on the other side of Usagi. It had surprised everyone when Michiru had agreed to sleep outside, too. They had fully expected her to have a tent, or an air mattress.

Rei's roll was closest to the fire, while Ami's was furthest. Minako curled up with both Artemis and Luna.

Ryo didn't dare talk until the others were all asleep and only the crickets were awake.

"Makoto-san?" Ryo whispered.

"What's up, Ryo-kun?"

Ryo leaned in close to her and kept his voice down. "Sailor Pluto said that...I couldn't tell you who the other NIjizuishou holders are out right. So I just did what I could to help. But I'm going to break my promise. I have to." He glanced at Rei who was sleeping peacefully, her dark hair reflecting the nearby flames. "Rei-san's grandfather has one."

Mako gasped but quickly covered her mouth. "But Jii-chan is so old. This could be real toll on him!" She stopped and then smiled at him. "You want us to do this to him. Bring him here, have it be as quick as possible." She frowned. "We'd probably have to tell him who we are. But that doesn't matter. Why did you wait? Why not tell us all earlier?"

Ryo looked guilty, but he'd had weeks to plan this. To consider the best option for everyone involved. "I didn't want Rei-san to not be able to concentrate. Or anyone for that matter. If she was worried, something could go wrong. And if something goes wrong anyway, someone had to know." He smiled nervously. "I didn't want to die with know one knowing."

Mako flicked some hair from Ryo's face. "You're not going to die, Ryo-kun. Even if I couldn't promise you that, Usagi-chan can. We've never lost anyone." She popped a soda and then tossed him one, too. "I won't tell anyone, Ryo-kun, and tomorrow we'll get that thing out of your chest."

"Thank you, Mako-san."

Morning came. Rei and Michiru took the last watch because they would have been up anyway. They took the time to, quietly, prepare rice and take out eggs and bacon so that Mako could cook as soon as she got up. Rei meditated in front of the fire, but it was more to cleanse herself and ask for protection than to divine the future.

Mako was the next one up and she began to make the food to go with the rest of breakfast which quickly roused Usagi and Chibi-Usa. The others woke up and everyone began to get ready for the day.

After nearly a half hour of cooking, Michiru and Mamoru were helping, Ryo looked at the stack of food in awe. "How many people are you cooking for, Mako-san?"

"Oh this? This is just Chibi-Usa and Usagi's portion! Oi! Breakfast you two!"

Ryo's eyes widened as Usagi and Chibi-Usa began to eat.

Minako winked. "Didn't see that, now didja?"

"Well, if anyone ever doubted their relation..."

They ate and decided to leave their camp up. Just in case they were too tired to hike back down later, they could stay another night.

The fire out, things put away from animals mouths, Usagi gave Chibi-Usa instructions.

"We're going to hike away from here. It shouldn't be long, but you are not, under any circumstances to leave this campground and follow us. IF we don't return. IF something happens, you go back to the other campgrounds and get help and say we got separated hiking. No matter what, you never follow us. Understood?"

Chibi-Usa nodded fiercely at Sailor Moon and then gripped Luna-P tightly. "Luna-P and I are going to play. No worries, Usagi!"

Mamoru took Usagi's hand and squeezed it. She smiled at him and then raised her hand high in the air.

"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"

OoOoO

The group hiked for an hour before they found a clearing large enough to fight in. They hoped they wouldn't have to, but they were ready for it.

The five soldiers circled around the clearing and Ryo, Tuxedo Mask, and Sailor Moon stood in the middle. Tuxedo Mask was there in case they had to move fast. Ryo, despite what he said, looked nervous.

Sailor Moon smiled at him, the Moon Stick in her hand. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you, Ryo-kun. I'm just going to try this." She placed her hand on his chest and closed her eyes. She asked, prayed, for the Nijizuishou to come to her hand. For the youma to not move, to stay where it was, inside the crystal.

Minutes passed, and no one made a sound. Mars was about to suggest they try something else, though heavens only knew what, when a burst of yellow light came from the center of the clearing. They immediately prepared their attacks, only to have the light die down. A yellow crystal was floating in Sailor Moon's hand and Ryo was collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Tuxedo Mask kneeled to check on Ryo and Sailor Mercury ran to help.

Sailor Moon gazed at the Nijizuishou and let out a breath. She could feel it, inside was a great youma trying to burst out, only the power that would make up the Ginzuishou was holding it back. The dark energy spiked, burning her hand. She threw the gem far from her and watched as the darkness rose above it.

"Don't think so!" Sailor Moon yelled.

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"

Just as soon as it started, the darkness was dispelled and the Nijizuishou fell to the ground, unremarkable.

Venus and Mars approached it and Venus gave a V-for-victory sign. "All clear, Sailor Moon!"

Sailor Moon took the Nijizuishou and they waited a few minutes while Ryo woke up. It didn't take long, but when he did, he sat right up and looked at Sailor Moon, hope in his eyes.

"Did it?"

She held it up for him to see. Perfect. Shining. Non-threatening.

"Ryo-kun, please lie back," Sailor Mercury instructed. "I need to make sure there aren't any negative consequences of -"

"I feel fine, Mizuno-san. In fact..." He concentrated and... "Nothing," he whispered.

"What do you mean?" Neptune asked.

Ryo grinned and, with Tuxedo Mask's help, stood. "I can't see anything. I only see right now. I can't even see if it's going to rain tomorrow!"

"Spoilers, it's June." Jupiter released her transformation and tossed her head back just as thunder rumbled in the distance.

Everyone else returned to their civilian forms and Usagi cast a worrisome glance to the east, where the clouds were. It was just now the start of the rainy season. And Usagi hated it. They marched back to their camp, where Chibi-Usa, who hadn't noticed the distant thunder yet, was playing a game of checkers with Luna-P (somehow) when they arrived.

"Welcome back!" Chibi-Usa greeted them, wrapping her arms around Usagi and Mamoru's legs. "Did it work? Did it?"

Usagi pulled out the Nijizuishou and grinned. "Number two of three!"

Chibi-Usa clapped in excitement. The gem glint in her eyes, a color of the rainbow that would eventually turn silver, and pure. The Ginzuishou. She was breathing hard and tears started flowing down her cheeks as the memories she had repressed pushed forward.

She covered her ears as the others asked what was wrong with her and tried to soothe her.

She couldn't touch it, she shouldn't even be near it!

"Put it away!" Chibi-Usa screamed, her voice going up in pitch as her cried again. "PUT IT AWAY!"

Usagi immediately hid the gem and both she and Mamoru made it to the girl and enfolded her in their arms, whispering words of encouragement and love.

Minako and Michiru exchanged a glance, their eyes full of both fear and hope.

OoOoO

Hours later, behind schedule, they made it back to the train station. They had missed the last train of the day, but purchased tickets for the next morning at eight. The large group checked into a nearby hotel.

At first they were going to get three rooms; one for Mamoru and Ryo, and two for the seven girls to split. But Chibi-Usa clung tightly to Mamoru and even whimpered when Usagi wasn't close enough as the thunder grew closer. It took some negotiating with Luna before they agreed to different sleeping situations.

Ryo would be on his own, the five Senshi would share a larger room, while Mamoru, Usagi and Chibi-Usa slept in their own. With Luna and Artemis, of course.

There was only one bed provided, and Mamoru was immediately delegated to sleep on the couch by the cats. Mamoru crossed his arms and demanding why Luna would think that this was at all romantic. Or would even be appropriate, at all, ever. They were comforting a child, and Luna was allowed to come with them.

"Well," Luna said, "I suppose. Whatever will be best."

The next morning there was no word spoken about the day before. Not about the sleeping arrangements, and the two girls who cowered and were comforted all night, or about the Nijizuishou. They had a quick breakfast before making their train. Once again, they had a car to themselves, and so they were able to speak freely.

"If we can get people to believe us, this works out quite well." Michiru kept her eyes on the scenery rolling by.

"It doesn't even look like we were here, and nothing from the Dark Kingdom or Black Moon." Minako picked a card from Chibi-Usa's hand and then frowned when it was the joker. "As long as we can get the Ginzuishou before them, we'll have a chance."

"So, Ryo-kun," Usagi pried, "what else are you doing for the summer? Want us to take you around to some of the best food places?"

Ryo just shook his head, now facing his promise to himself, and Sailor Pluto. "Part of my agreement to come out here was that as soon as my Nijizuishou was gone, I would leave."

"Ryo-kun..." Ami whispered.

"It's okay, Ami-san. I'm not a fighter or a strategist. But when the end comes, and there's chaos, I'll do what I can to help people while you fight. I think knowing what I do, that's the most important thing for me. It's worth it if I can save even one life."

OoOoO

Both Zoisite and Petz hovered over the clearing that was at least 100 miles outside of Tokyo. Independently the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon had sensed unusual energy from here less than twenty minutes ago. Both Zoisite and Petz had left without a word to their supervisors to inspect the energy source. But there was nothing.

There wasn't even a lasting effect, pure or dark.

"Can you sense anyone around?" Petz snapped as she began to float higher and look in the woods for a trace of life.

"There's people everywhere!" Zoisite argued back. "A human settlement must be nearby. That power was a Nijizuishou, I'm certain, Petz!" Zoisite joined her in scanning the trees for a youma, using his dark crystal to search for the familiar power.

Petz pointed into the distance. "Look! Oh, just a group of kids."

Zoisite caught sight of them and frowned. They weren't injured, running, and looked to be enjoying their time. A part of him wanted to release a youma on them just for that. But they didn't seem to be worried that something was coming after them. Whatever he and Petz, and even Kunzite, had felt was gone. Or perhaps just some sort of phenomena.

"Disgusting. Want to send a Droid after that kissing couple down there?" Petz asked, pointing to Usagi and Mamoru.

Zoisite chuckled. "I like to think only one of them will survive the invasion instead. Let them live their pointless lives a few moments longer." The man looked up at the sky then and Zoisite saw his face clearly. Something long buried tugged at his memories and he whispered. "Master?"

"What was that, Zoisite?" Petz was examining his dark crystal, suddenly fascinated by how the power was so similar to hers – what she had been gifted by the Kurozuishou that Wiseman had appeared with.

"Just...a dream."

OoOoO

A few days later, Urawa Ryo told his father that Tokyo was too warm for him and he got to see a lot, but he wanted to go back up north. His new Senshi friends saw him off at the station, from far off in the back so they wouldn't be noticed by Ryo's father. Ryo's eyes met Usagi's and he smiled in reassurance at her.

Once the train was out of sight, Mako pressed her lips together, hesitating to make the moment even worse, before lowly saying, "We need to go to the command center. Ryo told me somethings that we have to deal with right now."

Even Luna and Artemis looked startled, thinking that Ryo had told them all everything he was allowed.

"Mako-chan?" Usagi whispered. "What's wrong?"

Mako avoided everyone's eyes and just started straight at the ground. "We have to do something and we can't talk about it just anywhere. Come on!"

She took off in the direction of the arcade, and the Senshi followed her, easily keeping her pace. In each, they feared the worst.

They made it into the command center in record time, all of them anxious, but also several of them angry. Everyone took their normal seats, Usagi perching on a chair, looking as though she was prepared to take charge. Mamoru pulled one up and sat beside her.

Mako winced at that – with Usagi as the princess it was sometimes hard to not see Mamoru as sometimes holding power of his own, though neither of them ever claimed it. But right now, she felt she was being judged by a queen and her king.

There was a lot of chatter before Mako whistled through her fingers, causing many to flinch.

"Uh, sorry. Anyway, Ryo-kun made me promise to wait. And it was because he didn't want everyone, especially Rei-chan, to be worrying about it and have us accidentally, well, cause an accident. Then I asked why he didn't do it afterwards, and he told me that if he died, he'd never be able to tell us. So someone had to know."

"What is it?" Rei demanded, not liking she had been singled out in the statement.

"Rei-chan, your grandpa is a Nijizuishou carrier." Several of them gasped. Rei, for her part, held her composure. "Ryo thinks he'll be next, or the one after if Zoisite goes after him."

Her compsure snapped. "You should have told us as soon as everything was over!" Rei yelled, her eyes filling with tears, fear beginning to take over. "As soon as it was over so we could tell Jii-chan and get his removed!"

Mako nodded. "I was going to. But what if another battle happened? We'd all worry. And everyone one would have worried until we were able to make sure Ryo-kun got home safe, closing our last mission."

Even Michiru, who often showed little emotion to the enemy, agreed that the Inner Senshi would have been distracted, over protective, and may have gone as far as keeping an extra Senshi besides Mars at the shrine at all times. No, she would have done the same. And from the look on everyone, even Rei's face, they would have, too. They would have taken any precaution.

Usagi smiled. "It's okay, Mako-chan." She stood up and embraced her friend. "Thank you, for keeping this to yourself and holding the burden." She pulled away and grasped Mako's hands. "But now you don't have to." She turned to Minako. "Jii-chan's first. We'll start putting clues together for the other three later. But we need to figure out how to make Jii-chan believe us!"

As always, Minako gave her V-for-victory sign and spun so she was facing the giant Moon Computer. "Come on, let's put this thing to work."

Everyone crowded around the computer, except Rei, who stood behind them, her face full of terror and at the same time shame. She'd never felt anything about her grandfather that was 'off.' Oh, sure, he was a pervert sometimes, but not evil! What could she do? How did she help him? She looked to her friends and saw they were planning, talking about her grandfather and if his age would be a factor, taking the upmost care in how they were going to save him from himself. Usagi, she noted, had the cool, determined eyes of a leader that she had lacked just weeks ago.

Rei couldn't cry as emotion bubbled up in her heart. She was too proud to cry. But she could damn well make sure they knew everything about her grandfather before they approached him.

 **To Be Continued...**

Hey guys, thanks for reading again! Thank you for your support of this story! Please review!

-Ginzuishou


	8. The Party Invite

Well it's been a long time, and I'm sorry about that. It's just...a long story that I'm not getting into right now. Let's put it that way. I'm not promising a consistant schedule, but I'm going to try!

And yes, I changed the name, because I wanted to. ;) So please, enjoy the new chapter of "Changed Fate."

Chapter 7/?  
The Party Invitation

Rei was finishing with her afternoon chores, making dinner, when she felt them approach. She set the fish aside and turned the stove off while waiting patiently for her grandfather's call from the yard. They had just talked earlier that day on how to handle this situation, and Rei was not going to be a Sailor Senshi.

"REI!"

Bingo.

Rei jogged out of the house, knowing why grandpa sounded panicked, but still having a part to play. "Jii-chan! What's wrong?" She made it to the footsteps of the shrine, where you would pray and ring the ceremonial bell, to see her friends surrounding her grandfather, but still quite far from him. "What the hell are you doing? Get away from Jii-chan!"

The Senshi backed up more, and Rei stood before her grandfather, perceiving that she was ready to fight.

"No, Rei, they aren't here to fight us," Jii-chan explained. "But...Sailor Moon, was it? Will you show my Rei what you showed me?"

Sailor Moon broke contact with Tuxedo Mask and walked forward. "Rei-san, I'm not going to touch your grandfather, but you need to move over so I can show you."

Rei hadn't been on this side of Sailor Moon since before she became Sailor Mars. She wasn't being treated badly, but she was being treated with little kid gloves in a way. Sweetly, but with delicacy. She stepped away and Sailor Moon revealed the Nijizuishou just as planned. Just as planned, Rei demanded to know what they wanted and what it meant.

They gave the sterilized version of events that they planned to give to everyone from this moment. That their enemy had implemented the gem in there to turn them into monsters. That they, the Sailor Senshi, were seeking these gems out to stop the transformations and weaken their enemy. They let Jii-chan's imagination take it from there.

"Absolutely not," Rei finalized.

This was also part of their plan, as it was also part of Rei's nature to be an overprotective, hot-headed priestess.

"Rei!" Jii-chan scolded. "You of all people should remember what happened when those strange incidents were happening with the buses around here. Sailor Moon was one the who returned everyone from where they had been taken." He faced the Senshi, not noticing when Rei and Sailor Moon exchanged smirks. "What do you need me to do?"

OoOoO

Rei, per her grandfather's orders, stayed and took care of the Hikawa Jinja for two days on her own while the Senshi and her grandfather met on the mountain and removed the Nijizuishou from him. They had given him strict instructions on where exactly to meet them on Friday night. They were waiting for him when he arrived and explained they still had to hike, but Jii-chan was matching their pace with no problems.

The plan was to get him out of the campgrounds afterwards and then run to catch the last train while he stopped for the night, checking into a hotel with money that they gave him. He initially refused the money, but the Senshi assured him that they would make sure it gets to him, no matter what.

They opened a line for Rei to listen to while Sailor Moon extracted the Nijizuishou and joyfully announced fewer complications than before, and that Jii-chan was only unconscious for ninety seconds. Rei thanked them, not sure how she could truly do so. Usagi, her princess, was risking everything for some old man.

That night, while her grandfather was asleep in a comfortable hotel, Rei waited for her friends to return, since they took the last train home. She sat on the steps, worrying. The Senshi said it was easier, that no one was hurt. But until she saw them, and her grandfather, the tense anxiety would only grow in her gut.

It was just past midnight when Rei, half-asleep against the wall, heard the sounds of someone breaking their curfew. She stood and started down the stairs, going towards the voice, Usagi's voice.

"Guys!" Rei called as they came into view.

Usagi was half-leaning half-carried up by Mamoru. Rei gasped but Minako just snorted.

"She's tired," Mako translated.

Usagi waved and yawned. "Ugh, it's true. But we got it, and Jii-chan is fine! Nijizuishou number three!"

She went to grab the crystal and show her friend, but was almost knocked over by Rei running forward and wrapping Usagi in a hug. She didn't care if she looked weak right now, if she cried, or if she said a word, because when Usagi hugged her back she knew everything would turn out.

OoOoO

Once again, the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon were drawn to the strange energy reading outside of Tokyo, only to find simply people camping and hiking around the area. But the two readings were identical, as if from the same person. Or the same type of energy source.

"It's the Sailor Senshi," Zoisite seethed. "They're doing something to cause this."

Petz folded her arms and they returned to the Dark Kingdom. "Why would they do that? They must know that we'll find them."

"They may want to be found," Kunzite said as he joined them, Koan appearing with him.

"Didn't think of that," Petz muttered. "But why aren't they staying around?"

Koan crossed her arms, in thought. "Zoisite, you haven't had any luck with your crystal lately, have you?" Zoisite didn't say anything, so she kept going. "I'm merely suggesting maybe you could give it to me and I can try-"

"I don't think going to a make-up boutique will help this!" Kunzite told her.

Standing up for her sister, Petz stood before Kunzite, challenging him. "For someone who fights girls interested in make-up boutiques, you don't seem to understand the importance of being feminine. And deadly."

Petz leaned up and kissed Kunzite briefly, startling everyone. But when she pulled away she asked him, "So, I guess you'll know soon if I decided to put on my normal lipstick today...or the one I had made for special assassinations." Worry flashed in Kunzite's eyes and he reached to hit her, but she vanished and turned up at her sister's side.

She and Koan laughed at the anger, the rage on their faces. "Oh, please. Like I'd kill someone I still had a use for. Just because we're vain doesn't mean we can't also be deadly." She clicked her tongue. "As my sister was saying?"

Koan smiled. "Thank you, onee-sama! I think the Senshi are finding your Nijizuishou. I was going to offer to see if we could combine our strengths and try to find a new holder. Catch them off guard."

OoOoO

They had been busy since school got out, and now it was June 29th, and the group of Senshi had decided after the first they would get back to finding the Nijizuishou. They had just arrived back from extracting a Nijizuishou from a cat. Luna and Artemis had laughed at them trying to find, and capture, the cat. Now, there were only two left and Ryo had left very unspecific instructions about them. One was 'a friend of a friend' and the other 'a person of talent with horsehair.' Michiru had quickly chuckled and said she'd keep her ear to the ground about new painters.

They asked Chibi-Usa about it, but she just shrugged.

"You are the most unhelpful little..." Usagi said, handing her a strawberry milkshake. "I swear you're not mine. Who's your father?"

Chibi-Usa giggled and stuck out her tongue. "HA! Maybe if you buy me something really special for my birthday, I'll tell you!"

Usagi glared and put her hands on her hips. "Oh yeah, when's your birthday, smart-ass?"

"Tomorrow."

"What?" Usagi did a double take and then, loud enough for everyone in the Crown to hear, she yelled, "Tomorrow's my birthday!"

Not far away from the girls, at the counter, Mamoru choked on his coffee. Motoki reached over and slapped Mamoru on the back until he stopped and drank some water. Even Rei was looking at him strangely from down the line.

"Are you okay, Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Mamo-chan?" Chibi-Usa asked, also worried.

"Your birthday...both of you...is tomorrow?" Mamoru choked out.

 _Shit. Shit shit shit, Chiba. How did you miss this?_

"Yep! I'll be, uh," Chibi-Usa fumbled for how old she was supposed to be in this time, "seven!"

"And I'll be fifteen," Usagi said slowly. "Mamo-chan, how come you don't know my birthday?"

Now the five Senshi were clustered together, pretending they weren't listening, but somehow Minako was sniggering while they weren't talking at all.

"Well, I'm sure you don't - "

"August 3rd."

 _Crap._

"Usako, it just slipped my mind. Is there going to be a party?"

Motoki backed up. Mako grabbed Chibi-Usa and pulled her to safety.

Any idiot knew that the Senshi had been planning a birthday party for Usagi all week between their Senshi business. Or 'homework' as most of their family and friends thought they were spending all their time on.

Usagi brushed her skirt off, picked up her purse, and turned to her friends. "Don't worry." Her voice was scarily even. "We won't be having this argument in public."

Mamoru went white. They had never had a fight. Well, not a real one. Not on the scale they were talking about. Yes, about curfew. Yes, about the danger they put themselves into with the enemy. Of course over how to deal with Chibi-Usa. And there was the fight that ended with them dating.

He had to keep the fight here if he had any hope of keeping his dignity. And possibly his testicles.

"I meant is the party tomorrow? Because obviously we have to have a special night."

Usagi dropped her purse and raised one eyebrow, giving him leave to continue.

"Usako, I'm not giving details, in the arcade, about what I would plan to do with you for your birthday." Usagi went pink and her eyes went wide. Ami covered Chibi-Usa's ears. He took her hands and softly caressed them with his thumbs. "You're right, I should have been paying more attention. But I promise, I can make it up to you."

Usagi was breathing shallowly and she backed up a little bit. "I-I'm going to go play the new game that Mina-P told me about."

Mamoru reached and pulled her in, kissing her gently, but with promise, before he let her go to her game.

A few seconds later everyone, some rather reluctantly (Minako), went back to their food and games. Motoki walked back up to the bar and whistled low. "I didn't think you were going to survive that, Mamoru-kun."

"Me either," Mamoru said, shaky from holding his breath.

"Hope you're packing something as big as your ego. Cause you're gonna need it, Chiba," Minako said as she sat down next to him. Motoki coughed and went to take an order from someone else.

"Minako!"

Minako glared at him. "I'm the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Mamoru. Sometimes being around the two of you is stifling. So I'm just going to tell you the same thing I tell Usagi-chan every day I see her: You better tap that before someone else does."

"MINAKO!"

Minako rolled her eyes and waved him away as she took her drink back to the Sailor V game. "If I'm wrong, well, don't turn around. Cause I'm not."

Mamoru swiftly turned around. His girlfriend was climbing out of a new race car game with the help of a handsome blond hair teenage boy. And he was smiling at her. No, not boy, Mamoru realized, but the girl racer from a few weeks back. The other Sailor Senshi.

Michiru, who had been sitting quietly in a booth with Rei, met Mamoru's eyes. She knew that Haruka was there, too. Was it a coincidence? Fate? Judging by the way Haruka was lavishing her attention on Usagi...well, it was something. Unlike many of the other Senshi before, Haruka had an ego, and was secure in herself. She wasn't an outcast.

Or, at least, she didn't think she was.

Rei may not have been the Goddess of Love and Beauty, but she was perceptive. She smiled at Michiru and jerked her head towards the counter where Usagi was leading Haruka. Michiru shook her head 'no.'

Rei leaned in. "Michiru, don't make me get Minako over here. I don't want to embarrass myself, but I'm willing to."

They made it to the counter at the same time as Usagi was introducing Tenou Haruka, third year junior high school student at Mugen Academy, to Chiba Mamoru.

"Haruka-san,"

"Just Haruka."

"I'm sorry, Haruka," Mamoru corrected himself, then he noticed they weren't alone. "Oh, here's some other friends of ours."

"Hi!" Rei greeted Haruka a little friendlier than normally would. "I'm Hino Rei! This is our friend, and a brilliant violinist - "

"Kaiou Michiru," Haruka finished, flashing a smile at Michiru and taking her hand. "I'm a fan. I have been since you played for the gala last year. You probably don't remember me, we weren't introduced."

Rei and Mamoru would never admit it out loud, it might get back to Michiru, but watching her become flustered as Haruka continued to go on about her music and the inner beauty it showed, and how only those with the most beautiful of hearts and souls could play as beautifully as her, was the most satisfying event since they had met her. She was clearly not expecting Haruka to return her attraction.

Finally, Michiru collected herself. "No, we weren't introduced, Tenou-san. But it was hard not to notice that you are quite talented with the piano. And I have heard about your racing career. And you attending Mugen Academy is impressive. In fact, I've been taking practice tests in hopes of going to high school there."

"Really? Have you been able to tour the campus yet?" Haruka asked her. Michiru answered negatively. "Well then why don't you sign up for one? I'll take you myself!" Her green eyes were enthusiastic. "The music program it the best in Japan, and if you like music then the theater program is also something to take in!"

The two girls continued to chat and Usagi exchanged glances with Mamoru, a twinkle in her eyes. Mamoru chuckled.

"Even Michiru isn't immune to the charms of a cute girl," Usagi giggled softly.

Rei leaned in. "Are you?" she teased. "Haruka is pretty cute."

"She is, but is she cuter than Mamo-chan?"

"Usako!" Mamoru chuckled. "I'm right here. I'll cancel your birthday!"

Usagi rolled her eyes. "You don't even know what you're doing for my birthday yet." She yelped when she felt something brush against the small of her back and her back side.

"Usagi-chan, are you okay?" Michiru asked, concerned.

Haruka had seen what happened. "Odango's boyfriend just got a little possessive," she explained, which made Usagi avert her eyes. "And when's your birthday?"

Usagi lit up again. "Tomorrow! My cousin and I are having a joint party, I guess, since we were born on the same day." _Which would have been nice to know earlier!_ "We're just going to my friend Rei's for goodies and some games. Hey!" She grabbed Haruka's hand. She was going to do it. Damn Michiru if she wanted her to wake up on her own. She wasn't "going to tell her she was a Senshi, but she wasn't going to not be her friend, either. "You should come to the party! Anyone who likes Michiru's music and helps me out of a really realistic fake car crash has got to come and try Mako-chan's cakes!"

Michiru's eyes snapped to Usagi. Fear. And some anger.

Rei caught on. "Yeah, I live at the Hikawa Jinja, so you should come. It's around eleven so Mako-chan and Ami-chan are making sandwiches, too! And trust me, there's always left overs! Well, unless Usagi-chan gets her hands on them."

"Oi!"

Haruka looked like she was thinking it over. "Well, Odango will be there - "

"My name is Usagi!"

" - but will Kaiou-san be there?"

Michiru was about to back out of Usagi's party, but Rei stopped that. "Michiru said she'd be there to help me decorate!"

"Yes," Michiru confirmed, glaring at Rei. "That's right, I did say that. I'll be there, Tenou-san. For Usagi-chan."

Usagi's eyes went wide. "Michiru-chan and Rei-chan are going to decorate? Oh, I can't wait! It's going to be so pretty! Water and fire!"

Haruka looked curious. "Water and fire?"

Michiru laughed Usagi's slip up off. "Our astrological signs. I'm water and she's fire. Pisces and Aries."

"I'm the wind. Aquarius."

"A curious sign, Aquarius," Minako said, having snuck up behind them. Mamoru was ready to kill her. "An air sign that is carrying water. I wonder what the true history of that is? Ah, well. Usagi-chan! If Mamoru is taking you on an Important Date we need Important Date Garments. Nice to see you again, Haruka! Mamoru, you'll take Chibi-Usa-chan home for us, right? Great!"

Usagi barely had time to grab her purse before she was dragged out the door by her collar.

Haruka didn't say it out loud as she watched the two blondes leave the store, but while she had noticed Michiru over several months, she was certain she had never seen any of the others before. And they weren't fans, at least not obviously...

How did she seem to know them?

I really hope the next chapter won't be so long! Thank you all for being so patient with me for so long. I've been really, really sick the last near year so...Let's just keep hoping!

-Ginzuishou


	9. Well, It's SOMEONE'S Definition of Party

I hope you're ready to settle in because you're in for a long chapter. I promise. What I can't promise is if it was worth another wait? Oh well. I'm so glad you guys seem to be enjoying this, I hope to keep it going for a while. I've started concentrating on it more often (I write my own stories too!) and I'm pleased with where we're going.

A few notes: Until last year girls in Japan could get married at 16 but men couldn't get married until they were 20. So Mamoru and Usagi's ages say something about when they can get married.

 **Chapter 8/?**  
 **Well, It's SOMEONE'S Definition of Party**

"I'll trap you in a giant globe of water and slowly squeeze the molecules tighter together to create pressure. And then release. And then - "

"Michiru, I control fire," Rei said blandly.

Michiru snipped a cream-colored streamer and handed it to Rei. "Rei, I assure you, I will serve revenge."

"How?" Rei chuckled. "Give me frizzy hair? I quake in my fabulous red heels."

Deciding to drop it, Michiru went back to the decorations. "Are you sure she's going to be okay with a rabbit-themed party?" Michiru asked as she set up another crepe rabbit. The tenth one in the living room. "She's probably had one every year of her life."

Rei was rather proud of herself, actually. Usagi had said that after her first three birthday parties, which she didn't remember, she never got a rabbit-themed party. Her parents had overdone it so much those first years that it was severely hinted at that maybe Usagi would want a princess party...or anything that didn't involve rabbits. She had sounded just a tad longing.

"Nope. She's going to love it." Rei was smiling.

"Rei-chan!" Mako called as she entered.

"We're here!" Minako announced.

Ami was with them and all three of them were carrying bags filled with food. Michiru and Rei rushed to help them and they set the food on the table top and began to unpack. Rei and Michiru went back to decorating, now making concessions so decorations wouldn't get in the way of food. Everything was white, pink, and purple, even some of the different cookies that Mako had made.

Minako reached for a cupcake but Mako swatted her hand away with a spoon. "Not until Usagi-chan and the others get here!" Minako pouted and then made a face at her when Mako's back was turned.

There was a knock on the door, and a male voice called from outside. "Rei-chan!"

"You invited Motoki-san?" Michiru asked.

"Yeah. And he said he was bringing his girlfriend." Rei smirked and went to the door as both Mako and Minako went pale.

"You never told me he had a girlfriend!" Minako hissed to Mako.

Mako threw her hands in the air. "How was I supposed to know?!"

Rei returned moments later, not just with Motoki and his girlfriend, but also Haruka.

Michiru dropped the (paper) plates she was carrying when Haruka came in.

"Kaiou-san, you did come!" Haruka said as she made her way to the table. "This place looks...what's with all the bunnies?"

Minako was helping Rei take umbrella's and personal items to put them away and she heard the question. "Trust me," she told Haruka, "this isn't anything compared to her room."

Motoki was introducing his girlfriend, Reika, to the others when suddenly Minako came running in. "Get the poppers, they're here!"

Michiru stood in the back and Haruka kept a respectable distance but smirked at the golden popper she had grabbed.

"Something amusing, Tenou-san?" Michiru was getting ready to pull the strings.

"Just my favorite color," she admitted. She smiled at Michiru. "Yellow, but I also like blue and then pink after that."

Hiding her smile, Michiru turned back to face the front. "I can't imagine you in pink, Tenou-san."

"Our secret, Kaiou-san."

Then there was a loud noise as everyone pulled their poppers, welcoming the final guest and the two guests of honor.

"Happy Birthday, Usagi and Chibi-Usa!" everyone coursed.

The party moved fast with everyone pressing gifts into the birthday girls' hands, teasing and laughing as the crackers went off.

Haruka pulled hers and watched a shower of silver and gold sprinkle to the ground with the other confetti.

 _Maybe I should stay after and help clean up._

"Look at all the bunnies!" Usagi squealed. "Oh, this looks great you guys!"

Rei and Michiru exchanged relieved glances.

Chibi-Usa ran past everyone to where Mako's cake was. It was bigger than she thought but shaped like a rabbit's face. "Wow! Mako-chan it looks so awesome!" She blinked and for a moment she thought it was a smaller white cake with her name on it. And candles. The Senshi and her parents standing nearby, clapping and laughing.

But she closed her eyes and willed the image away only to feel tears trail down her cheeks. They were all there, but at the same time...she was alone. And it ached until she felt a pair of arms surround her and she tucked her face into Mamoru's chest until she was done crying.

He let her go with a smile, silently promising himself he'd talk to Usagi about it later.

Usagi saw that Motoki had brought Reika and she put down her presents so she could meet her. "Motoki-onii-san told me all about you, Reika-san! You two are in University together?"

Reika took a nervous sip of her drink. "Oh, yes. I had to take a certain type of language class and I was so terrible at it I went to get tutored. Motoki was the one who helped me, and, well." Reika laughed. "I think I got the better deal!"

Mamoru walked up and handed Usagi a soda. "Reika-san, nice to see you again."

"You, too, Mamoru-kun. I hope you don't mind that I came around, Usagi-chan."

Uasgi threw her arms wide. "It's summer!" she announced. "We should all be having fun."

"So, how old are you today, Odango?" Haruka asked, handing her a small package.

Usagi beamed at her. "Fifteen!"

"Oh, so only one more year before you two get married?" she teased Usagi and Mamoru. The latter of whom choked very loudly on his soda.

"At least 2," Usagi sighed sadly. "Mamo-chan's only turning eighteen this year."

"Ah, to be young and in love."

Chibi-Usa suddenly came running up and grabbed a hold of Usagi's leg. "Tenou-san, right? Usagi told me about you. That you really drive race cars!"

Haruka crouched down and grinned at the new, small bunny. "I do, Chibi-chan You must be Odango's cousin."

Chibi-Usa reached for Haruka's hand and they shook. "I'm Tsukino Chibi-Usa!"

"And I'm Tenou Haruka, but you already knew that." Chibi-Usa grinned wider. "How old are you, Chibi-Usa-chan?"

She kept to their story. "Seven!"

Winking, Haruka handed her a small envelope. "It's just a small thing. When I was your age, I was street racing with my bike already. So don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Chibi-Usa insisted that she didn't have to, but graciously took the envelope, which she could feel had several bills inside.

"Thank you, Haruka," Usagi said as Chibi-Usa ran off to talk to Rei.

Haruka shrugged. "She's a kid, let her have some fun. When we were talking yesterday I picked up that she's not just visiting." They relayed the same story they were telling everyone about Chibi-Usa's mother. Haruka just shook her head. "That's rough on little ones. She's lucky she has family to be there for her."

Reika took one of the colored sugar cookies making their way around the room. She took a bite and her eyes lit up, which caused Usagi to giggle.

"That's the response everyone has to Mako-chan's food!"

"Good or bad?" Haruka asked tentatively as she reached for one.

"GOOD!" Reika's voice was muffled, but very well understood. She swallowed and looked at Usagi. "Wow, no offense, Usagi-chan, but the cookies on their own are worth the trip!" They laughed. "But I am glad to be here. It's so hard to get away from my program sometimes."

They chatted, simply visiting the normal topics of school, home, and work. And, of course, the food and which games they should play.

About a half-hour later, Jii-chan came into the room and whispered something to Rei who looked puzzled and followed him out of the room. Only those with keen eyes and senses realized she was gone, and then she was back mere seconds later.

"Usagi!" Rei hissed as she caught Usagi's arm. "Your pager is going off."

Usagi looked confused and whispered back. "But I don't have a pager!"

Rei held her arm harder which caused Usagi to cry out.

"Rei!" Mamoru protested.

"Mamoru, why don't you come with us? We're just going to get some more drinks and check on Usagi's pager."

She stared at Mamoru for a second and he understood as he took the lead to the front room where they had left their purses and shoes.

Usagi heard it and cursed herself as she jogged to her purse, where her Moon Stick was blinking and beeping.

"Someone here has a Nijizuishou," Usagi whispered. "But who? Jii-chan doesn't have his anymore. None of us have one. I've been around everyone in this house befo...oh no."

"Usako? What is it?"

"Reika-san!" Usagi half-whispered. "She's the only person who we've never been around before." She flipped her wrist and the Moon Stick vanished, still in her grasp, but not out in the open universe; rather in a spacial distortion that held more junk than she'd ever admit to.

Rei nodded curtly. "I'll let the others know, quietly, and then we can discuss what to do after the party."

Usagi looked relieved and then relaxed her shoulders, not realizing how tense she was. "Okay, that sounds good. Luna and Artemis need to know, too." They had opted to not come to the party because they wouldn't be allowed to talk. Or eat human food. Artemis insisted Minako bring him a piece of cake.

"So, until later business as usual," Mamoru confirmed. "I'll find out what Reika-san and Motoki-kun are planning on doing after the party. Maybe Usako and I can get them alone afterward."

"Good plan," Rei said.

There was the sound of crashing furniture and then screaming as the power went out.

Rei threw her hand in the air. "Oh, well, screw me! MARS POWER MAKE UP!"

OoOoO

Koan and Zoisite blinked into the courtyard of the Hikawa Jinja. It took Zoisite only a few moments to recognize it from one of Jadeite's files and failures. Jadeite mentioned that the priestess of the shrine was psychic, with abilities beyond normal human senses.

But they were on a mission. Koan had used the powers of a crystal that the Black Moon was in possession of, the Jakokuzuishou, to enhance his ability to see who had the next crystal. Determined to not fail again, Queen Beryl had been _stern_ when she insisted upon his recovery of the crystal. The black crystal began to glow and a beam of light pointed towards the house, where the young woman would be.

"See?" Koan preened. "Now we don't have to go everywhere looking for her. We can just walk through the front door."

Zoisite glared at her out of the corner of his eye. "Then what are you waiting for?"

"Getting the damn thing isn't _my_ job, Zoisite."

Zoisite glared at her, but led the way to the front door. It was open and they slipped inside only to be bombarded by the noise coming from one end of the home. There were voices, laughter, music, and some occasionally yells.

"We should come back another day." Koan was suddenly distressed by the number of people around. She had expected a Shrine to be quiet!

"Well, as you said, it isn't your job to get the damn thing." Zoisite vanished and reappeared right outside the living room door.

Obviously riled, Koan reappeared by him. "What's your plan?"

"Just the easy way."

He walked into the room and put his hand out before yelling, "ZOI!" and the first person on his right slammed into the wall, taking another with her.

OoOoO

Sailor Moon and Mars managed to convince Jii-chan, and an untransformed Mamoru, to run and hide in the actual shrine, away from the house. They quickly reassured them they would get the others out before running into the fray, leaving Mamoru behind to assure Jii-chan of their safety and keep him safe in case their unknown adversary left the house.

Zoisite, and a woman with purple hair were attacking their friends. Ami was laying, unconscious, across Mako's stomach, who was trying to wake the other girl up. Minako was standing protectively in front of Chibi-Usa, who had wide, terrified eyes as she stared at the new enemy in pink, Koan.

Koan opened her hand and fire crackled in her palm. "Do you really think I'll let you have all the fun?" She shot the fire at Michiru, who went to dodge but was at the same time pulled away from the danger by Haruka.

Haruka pulled her close and they ducked into a small tatami room off of the hallway.

"This is just like last time!" Haruka said as she heard one of the others yell something intangible. "What the hell is going on lately?!"

Michiru looked down at their joined hands and pulled away gently. "Tenou-san, I have to go out there."

Haruka gripped her arm. "What are you going to do? Magic? We'll stay here and then...No. The others...Odango."

Michiru bit her lip and closed her eyes. "Haruka. Please. I have to protect her." She hesitated. "To stop it. I have to protect her." Haruka loosened her grip, fear in her eyes and Michiru fled from the small room, slamming the door shut as she did, leaving her alone in the hallway.

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER MAKE UP!"

Joining the fray, Sailor Neptune appeared next to Sailor Mars. "Has anything happened?" she asked. "What do they want?"

It had only been seconds, not a minute, but only three of them, Moon, Mars, and herself had managed to transform. Ami was awake now, but very dazed as Mako helped her into a sitting position. Minako still stood in front of Chibi-Usa while Motoki who was holding Reika close. Zoisite and Koan, who announced herself, stood in the middle of the room.

"Zoisite, you take another step," Sailor Moon threatened, "and you will never make it back to the Dark Kingdom."

Koan chuckled. "How cute. You think you're so powerful? Challenge me, Sailor Moon! My fire will drag you to Hell."

Mars snorted. "You think you're hot stuff?" Mars snapped her fingers and fire engulfed her hand. "Try me, Koan."

"FIRE SOUL!"

Sailor Moon advanced on Zoisite, as he was making his way to Reika, his dark crystal in his hand. "He knows!" Sailor Moon shouted as she went into a full run and tackled Zoisite to the ground. The crystal flew from Zoisite's grip and landed in front of Minako and Chibi-Usa.

Chibi-Usa screamed.

The ear-piercing shriek caused Koan to break her concentration and get nicked by Sailor Mars. "Little wretch!" Then she stopped. "You! The Rabbit!"

Minako gathered Chibi-Usa into her arms. "Hold on tight!" she ordered. Feeling Chibi-Usa's finger nails pierce her skin, Minako took off out of the house and started towards the stairs. Koan followed, and Mars was behind her.

Sailor Moon and Zoisite were wrestling on the floor, keeping Reika and Motoki stuck in the corner. Ami stayed on the ground and Mako disappeared only to re-appear a few moments later as Sailor Jupiter. Zoisite punched Sailor Moon in the face, sending her reeling as he stood up and called the crystal to him.

"ZOI!"

Sailor Jupiter rushed forward and slammed Zoisite into a wall, but the damage was already done.

Reika's mouth was open in a silent scream as the small blue crystal appeared in her chest. It flew towards Zoisite's outstretched hand, but Sailor Moon recovered enough to run and intercept it, taking it as hers.

Throwing Sailor Jupiter off of him, Zoisite snarled and launched an attack at Sailor Moon, who easily dodged it.

"Give me the Nijizuishou, Sailor Moon!"

"Over my dead body!"

"My Queen would appreciate that more than any crystal, I think." Zoisite grinned and got close to her, too close for Neptune's comfort. "And so would the Black Moon."

Sailor Moon tucked the Nijizuishou away. Four. They had four now. "Too bad I hear there's a bright future waiting for me when I'm done defeating you guys."

Now Reika was screaming, startling Moon and Zoisite.

"Reika!" Motoki gasped, reaching for her as she was consumed in dark energy, falling to her knees as the transformation took place.

"Motoki-san, no!" Jupiter pulled him to safety.

"But, Reika!" Motoki protested.

Jupiter pulled him to the same hall Haruka had taken Michiru down earlier. Haruka was standing in the doorway of the small room torn between being helpless, and yet knowing she could do something. If she only knew what...

"Watch him!" Jupiter snapped, which caused Haruka to blink in shock. "Don't come back in until we say so!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Haruka demanded.

"One day you'll know."

OoOoO

Being Sailor V before being Sailor Venus gave Minako several advantages over the others. The least of which was that she had trained a lot as a civilian. Sailor V was a stepping stone to Venus, a partial power. She had always felt powerful as V, but when she became Venus she tasted new heights. And there was more, she could feel that her powers, like Usagi's, were incomplete.

Yes, she trained as V, with barely any power or knowledge, and so that helped keep her out of range of Koan's flames as she darted through the courtyard with Chibi-Usa clinging so tightly to her that she had drawn blood.

That and Sailor Mars screaming the worlds "FIRE SOUL" over and over as she tried to engage Koan.

 _If she gets to me she'll just take Chibi-Usa and disappear!_

"Hang on, Bunny," Minako panted. "We're going to fly down those stairs!"

Chibi-Usa squeezed her eyes shut and seconds later she felt her stomach drop as the ground disappeared from under her. Minako had leapt from the top of the stairs and then landed nearly twelve steps down. Minako ran and then leapt again, and again, managing to avoid Koan until they reached the bottom of the steps.

Fire flickered in Minako's vision and she braced to dodge but Koan suddenly appeared in front of her. Koan, being prepared, stayed standing after Minako and Chibi-Usa crashed to her and then to the ground.

"Stupid girl," Koan sneered from above her. Minako moved and put herself between Koan and Chibi-Usa. "You think some –AHH!"

"Stupid woman," Sailor Mars mocked as she caught up. "Did you forget who you were facing?"

"You!"

"RUN!" Mars snapped at the girls on the ground.

Once again, Minako lifted Chibi-Usa up and took off down the street, not looking back.

OoOoO

Sailor Moon jumped, cursed, and barely avoided a flask—hey _something_ from school she remembered—full of electric energy being shot at her by the new Reika-youma in Rei's ruined living room. She then was whisked to the side by Sailor Jupiter when Zoisite from behind her and tried to grab her.

"SHABON SPRAY!"

Sailor Mercury finally arrived, still looking a bit dazed as she immediately shrouded the area in fog.

"Damnit!" Zoisite roared as he was engulfed. "Where are you, you pig?"

Somehow the icy room got colder as Mercury glared at where the general had been standing. She had been insulted in her life. Snubbed. Often ignored or even openly mocked. No one had ever called to her with such anger, or even called her something so...and yet she was almost mad at herself for being mad that he was insulting her looks!

"Give me the crystal!"

Coming up behind Zoisite, Mercury felt angry as he tried to navigate the overturned home through the fog. She watched as he caught a glimpse of her and then smirked before he continued to make his way forward—ignoring her.

And that's when she got mad.

"I am not beneath you, Zoisite!" she yelled.

Zoisite only laughed and turned around, his face a smiling mockery of cheer. "My dear Sailor Mercury, your fog is already clearing. Haven't you done all that you're useful for?"

"I said: I am not beneath you."

Something new coursed through her, something stronger. Another step. Another letter of code, a new piece. She had new words to say.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

The fog cleared just in time for Sailor Moon and Jupiter to see ice sweep over Zoisite's figure. It was enough to distract the youma and Sailor Moon raised her Moon Stick high.

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"

Zoisite, shivering, crumbled to the ground as he broke the ice around his legs with a blast of dark energy. He looked up and glared at an amazed, but much more powerful, Sailor Mercury. She looked proud of herself, but not overly-confident. Just sure that she would do everything to continue the fight against him.

For a moment, Zoisite was elsewhere. The smell, the light, it was all now familiar, and yet old. Like something from a long forgotten childhood. And the light was framing her just so...

His eyes went wide and he growled, "I'll come back, Senshi," just as he vanished.

Reika was still unconscious, seemingly unhurt, as Jupiter and Moon came up beside Mercury.

"Mercury, what was that?" Moon asked.

"A new power?" Jupiter was excited.

Still studying her hands, now more amazed than ever, Mercury nodded. A light flashed between her palms and her transformation pen, blue and gold, shined there. The three Senshi watched, in awe, as it glimmered and then shimmied into a different form, with a star on top instead of a sphere.

Neptune only barely noticed the events as she checked on Reika, who was breathing normally. "She appears to just need sleep." She smiled at Sailor Moon who smiled back, looking relieved.

Sailor Moon looked around the demolished room then gasped. "Chibi-Usa!"

OoOoO

Mars barely dodged Koan's dark fire, singeing the tips of her hair as she rolled. She only had enough time to throw a scroll of exorcism at her adversary before scrambling away from another attack. She couldn't get on the offensive, but at least she had her attention. Minako would be clear across the city by now.

"Come on, Sailor Mars," Koan taunted. "I thought this was going to be a fight."

Fire sparked in Mars' hands.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Koan reached out and delicately caught Mars' fireball. She observed it for a moment before laughing and closing her fist, extinguishing it.

For a moment the distant sound of traffic was all she could hear. Koan laughed and took a single step forward. And then another causing Mars to step back.

"You're just a child playing a war." Koan continued walking forward. "In the future, you could have been something. You have power there, but still nothing compared to our Prince."

Mars narrowed her eyes as she took tentative steps backwards. 'Prince?'

Koan continued her march, and her mouth. "You and your Senshi sisters will be bathed in the Jakokuzuishou, and it will destroy the power of the White Moon."

"You mean the Ginzuishou," Mars said, stopping suddenly.

"I mean whatever it takes to achieve our objective."

"And what's that?"

It took great restraint from Mars when Koan continued to talk.

"We want to rid the Earth of the White Moon. Our power, our Jakokuzuishou, will consume this time and the one I am from in a glorious black nothingness!" Black fire crackled in her hands and she smiled at Mars. "I think I'll start with you, Sailor Mars. Then move on to the royal line."

Fire, hotter than she'd ever felt, burned inside her. Mars felt her breath come in and out in short gasps as it spread inside her, and she heard it, the new words for the flames at her fingertips.

"BURNING MANDALA!"

Koan screamed when the flames reached her. From everything the Dark Kingdom had told them, from what her own sisters had said, the Senshi were clever, but not this powerful. It took five of them to destroy a Droid. Sailor Mars having the power to defeat her was impossible.

And yet...

"Holy shit!" Jupiter exclaimed as she arrived with Sailor Moon. "What was that?"

Sailor Mars looked at her hands and then at the ashes that had once been Koan. "New power," Mars whispered.

She jumped back when her transformation pen shimmered in front of her. She watched as the circle turned to a star and clasped it gently in her hands.

Jupiter whistled and put her arms above her head. "I feel left out. You and Ami-chan both got that. I got nothing."

"Ami-chan killed Zoisite?!"

"Well, she froze him. He got away. Pretty pissed."

"Mars, where's Chibi-Usa?" Sailor Moon demanded, losing her patience.

Both Mars and Jupiter stood straighter and faced their leader and princess.

"Sorry," Mars said. "Minako took her. She's safe."

"Unless Zoisite went after her, too!" Sailor Moon grabbed her communicator and waited impatiently for Minako's face to appear. After a few moments of static she was there, red-faced and panting.

"Usagi-chan...Please tell me I can stop running," Minako panted.

Sailor Moon sighed in relief to hear her sarcastic plea. "Where are you?"

"Chiyoda by now! God, are you all okay?"

"Yeah. Happy friggin' birthday."

OoOoO

"I want answers, Usagi-chan."

To say Motoki was pissed would be a misstatement. He was certain that his friends, people he valued, were lying to him. He was orbiting the moon, quite literally, angry beyond nice words.

Usagi, for her part, looked tired as she helped everyone from the party clean up the Hino living room. "Motoki-onii-san, I don't know-"

"Bullshit, Usagi!"

Everyone stopped. Reika was being cared for in the extra room by Jii-chan. They had insisted that Haruka go home and rest, though she had protested until Michiru promised to call her when they finished cleaning. Motoki was only there because Reika was still weak.

He threw down the rag he was using to mop up spilled soda. "I want to know what just happened, what Reika was turned into, and how you're involved."

Mamoru stepped forward and held his hand out. "Hey, Motoki, we're all upset about what happened to Reika-san, but-"

"You're just as guilty, Mamoru, so I don't want to hear it." Mamoru snapped his mouth shut as Motoki continued. "You kept Rei-chan's grandpa out of the way, and all of you...You vanished and the Sailor Senshi appeared. You appear and the Sailor Senshi vanish. And I can see it now. You look like them." He turned his eyes to Usagi, who was looking down. "Your hair, why didn't I notice it before?"

"You're not supposed to," Ami whispered, coming forward with her head high. "It's something like glamour, but I don't know what to call it yet. Something about us being Senshi makes a disconnect in the brain. You don't want to see us, so you don't."

Stunned, Motoki sat on the floor. Sure, he'd thought it, but having Ami, Sailor Mercury if he was right, just tell him that magic had blinded him..."Wait, what?"

The Senshi laughed. In a moment the tension broke and all of them, Michiru to Motoki, were laughing. It lasted far longer than it should have, but it was needed after their near-death experience.

"What's so funny?" Chibi-Usa asked from the door as she and Minako made it back to the Shrine.

Minako's hair was wind-blown and they were both looking flushed from walking up the stairs. They had hurried back at Luna's insistence that they all gather for a meeting once the non-Senshi were gone.

"Oh, Motoki-san just realized that we're the Senshi," Mako laughed out, clutching her stomach. Minako and Chibi-Usa exchanged looks and shrugged. "Guess you had to be there."

"Wait, uh, go back to what you just said," Minako gasped.

They calmed down and decided that they should clean and talk. Chibi-Usa was put to work helping Mako straighten the furniture, Usagi and Mamoru took over telling the story while Ami, the most tired after her injury and power-up, kept watch for Jii-chan.

They kept it brief, and Motoki asked questions they still had themselves.

"I want to see the Control Room," Motoki eagerly demanded. "I can't believe it's under Crown. How...how do you get down there? Where's the entrance?"

Usagi exchanged looks with Minako and they laughed. "When we show you, you won't believe us."

Then, they sombered up again. "What are you going to tell Reika?" Motoki asked. "I know you would have had to do this anyway, and you would have told her. Does she even remember?"

"I'm not going to lie to her," Usagi said as she tied a trash bag. "But I won't tell her she was the monster. Watch, she won't even ask."

As they wrapped up and it began to grow dark, Ami noticed Jii-chan and Reika coming down the hall.

"Incoming!" she muttered as she sat on the couch next to Rei.

"Well!" Jii-chan boasted as he led a pale Reika into the living room. "No worries now, my dear. Seems everything got cleaned up and now you can go home if you feel well enough. And you look well enough, certainly."

"JII-CHAN!"

Reika, red as her dress, joined Motoki, who kissed her cheek. "I don't even remember what the monster looked like, and Hino-san didn't see what happened!"

"Trust me, you don't want to remember it," Motoki said, catching the room off guard. "It's gone, the Senshi saved us."

"I guess that's all that matters."

 **To Be Continued...**

I kinda know where I'm going, so hopefully you'll see another update even sooner. Who knows, maybe I'll figure out if I'm doing how many different seasons in this before it ends. If everything goes as planned there will be a new senshi soon. Oh, not too soon, but soon enough. And who knows when Saturn is going to want to be useful.


	10. Well That Was Unexpected

Hi all! Thank you for sticking this far in, I'm glad you're still here. I hope you enjoy this installment, it's a bit of a break from action.

 **Changed Fate**

 **Chapter 9/?**

 **Well That Was Unexpected**

Zoisite kicked the black rock that protruded from the floor with gusto, over and over until it finally broke the tip of his steel toed boots and he cried out in pain as shards of the steel broke through the tip and cut his big toe.

 _Damn those Senshi! Damn that Sailor Mercury!_

It wasn't being frozen in place that made him mad. Oh no, he was mad because somehow, somewhere, the thought that she could have done better than that nagged at him. That if she had been mad enough, hated him enough, he would not be standing there.

Zoisite hated mercy, and was not known to show it to his minions, or even his fellow Shitennou. Having it shown to him was almost the ultimate disgrace, the look in her eyes was going to keep him awake at night. It wasn't the hate or fear or terror he always expected, but rather pity.

The girl pitied him. And she wouldn't kill him.

Now he turned to punch the wall behind him only to have his fist caught by a familiar white-haired man with a frown on his face.

 _Shit._

"You lost to the Mercury girl?" Kunzite asked, his voice laced with disappointment and disgust.

Zoisite, ignoring his bleeding toe, lowered his hand and sneered right back at Kunzite as the mere mention of Mercury brought back other images.

A lake. A garden. Her with slightly longer hair laughing. At something he had said? At something. Something beautiful.

And the Earth hung in the background.

But he blinked the images away, banishing them as far down inside as he could, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to see that smile on Sailor Mercury's face like he imagined it.

"Zoisite! I said," Kunzite was angry now, "you _lost_ to Sailor Mercury? How?"

His eyes focused and he saw the tick in Kunzite's left eyebrow and could only wonder how mad Her Majesty must be if she knew by now.

"Does...does she know?"

"Oh, she knows. I was sent to fetch you so you could lie your way out of it, but what happened?"

Zoisite narrowed his eyes, remember how cold he had been, how he should still be frozen. "She called a power I've never seen before. She froze me in place, Kunzite!"

"What?! Fine, did she kill Koan, too?"

Zoisite wasn't sure what had happened to Koan, he had been more concerned about keeping himself alive. "Koan's dead?"

"Ashes, from what her sisters were screaming in the throne room. And now Prince Diamond and Our Queen want to speak to you. I'd get your story together quickly if you want to survive this."

OoOoO

"I do not need underwear _that_ exciting, MInako-chan," Usagi reassured her friend as they made their way up the stairs to her bedroom.

Tonight was the night. Mamoru was taking Usagi out for the long-waited (and forgotten) dinner. He told her to dress 'fancy' and so the fruition of the girls' shopping was about to come to existence. The Dress. The Shoes. The Make-up. It was all planned down to the most intricate detail, thanks to Minako's enthusiasm for Usagi's sex life.

"And then he'll pay for the check, and Usagi-chan this is the best part, he'll take you home and-"

"MINAKO-CHAN!" Usagi shouted as she closed the door, locking them in and Luna out. She was red-cheeked from embarrassment and it wasn't just because Minako had to try announce the status of her virginity. She lowered her voice. "My mother is home."

Minako rolled her eyes and dumped her bag of 'essentials' on Usagi's bed. "It's not like I was talking about you actually, ya know, ya know...YA KNOW?"

Usagi's cheek's burned. Yeah, she knew. But that didn't mean she wanted Minako, or her mother, to even think that she was sleeping with her boyfriend. That was between her and Mamoru, and frankly, she was tired of telling Minako 'no' every other day when it came to the status of her virginity.

"But Usagi-chan, you're fifteen, it's an important birthday! Mamoru must have _something_ planned. He must have dropped hints." She waggled her eyebrows here and Usagi once again glared at her, causing Minako to sigh. "Usagi-chan, I'm just joking, okay? But the important thing is that we get you looking perfect. That dress is just low enough to pass your dad's standards and make Mamoru-san, well, gaze."

"Minako-chan," Usagi sighed, her cheeks still red as she looked at the sky-blue dress that hung from the door of her closet. "You're that word Ami-chan says that I can't pronounce."

"Encouragable!"

"Close." Usagi bit her bottom lip and decided she had no other choice but to give herself over to the Goddess of Love and Beauty. "Okay, what first?"

"Hair, so your make-up doesn't melt away while we use the hot iron, then make up, so it doesn't get on your clothes. Then the sexy under-"

"MINAKO!"

"Then we'll get you dressed by stepping INTO the dress so we don't ruin your hair or make-up. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds like I don't have a choice."

"Nope!"

OoOoO

Mamoru, with a boquet for pink and red roses, stood on the Tsukino's door step wondering how much longer he would wait before ringing the doorbell.

It wasn't the first time he would be meeting Usagi's mom, they'd said hello on and off when he'd come over before, but he'd never met her brother, and especially not her dad. Ikuko seemed happy, a little flighty, and genuine in her affections towards her daughter and now adopted daughter. He had only been warned by Motoki about Tsukino Kenji.

Apparently Usagi wasn't supposed to even date until she was sixteen, and here Mamoru was, sweeping her off her feet at fifteen, no she had only been fourteen. It amazed him how a few months made such a difference.

"Ya know," a voice called from an upstairs window, "the button on the side will magically open the door."

Mamoru looked up to see Chibi-Usa with her head stuck out of the attic window, a huge smile on her face.

"Chibi-Usa, did they finally get your room all sorted out?" he yelled back with a laugh.

"Yep!" she leaned on her hands, cupping her chin, with her pink hair loose and not in its normal style.

Mamoru, still grateful for the distraction, noted her hair. "Why isn't your hair done?"

Chibi-Usa grinned bigger and as she turned away from the window, "Minako-chan is going to style it!"

The color drained from Mamoru's face. "Minako-chan?"

"Mamoru-san!" the door flung open and, thankfully or not, Minako was standing there and not Kenji. "How long have you been standing there, when I heard Chibi-Usa talking I just knew it was to you and so I came to get you from standing out in this heat."

"Shouldn't-"

"Don't worry, Ikuko-mama made sure that Kenji-san is gone so he wouldn't bother you." Minako winked and ushered him in. "And Shingo is at a friend's house until tomorrow. Ikuko-mama loves everything Usagi-chan tells her about you so she thought she'd give you a break."

Mamoru looked Minako up and down, from her tightly pushed together feet to the large grin on her face and big bow in her hair. She looked normal, which meant she was up to something. "How long have you and Ikuko-san planned this?"

"About a week. Kenji-san has no idea." She then pointed towards the living room and said, "You can wait for Usagi-chan there. Trust me, just keep your eyes on the doorway."

Mamoru, roses still in his sweaty hands, perched himself on the edge of a seat on the far side of the living room, at Minako's direction, and he could see why. It blocked the stairs so he wouldn't see her come down, but the light...Minako was one for dramatics, he gave her that.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Minako turned around, her hair gracefully falling around her. "She's staying at my place tonight, so if I were you, I'd have her back here by 11 AM. That's pretty normal for a sleep over."

Mamoru's stomach dropped and his palms began to sweat even more. "What?"

Minako smiled again, something she seemed to have perfected, "Oh, Mamoru, trust me you won't want to let her go."

She stepped to the side and Usagi appeared, surrounded by the light from the other rooms, creating the dramatic effect that Minako had so hoped for.

Usagi stepped into the room, her normal odango style down and braided down her back with tendrils of curls sweeping along each side of her face and coiling half-way down her torso. The sky-blue dress had a v-neck plunge that showed enough of her body that she still felt comfortable, but bold as it hugged her figure and stopped just above the knee with an inch of white satin trim.

Mamoru gaped for a moment, a long enough moment for Minako to pat herself, literally, on the back as he took in her perfect face with a nice pink lip-stick that complimented Usagi's skin tone.

"Usako..."

"Minako-chaaaaan!" Chibi-Usa called as she came running down the stairs, her hair still down. "You said you'd do my hair too, and now that Mamo-chan and Usagi, oh." she stopped short when she realized she had walked in on a 'adult' moment. She smiled slyly and tugged on MInako's hand. "Come on, let's go do my hair. Bye Mamo-chan, bye Usagi! Have fun!" she called over her shoulder and she dragged Minako up the stairs, where Luna was still patiently waiting after Minako had simply glared at her when Usagi came out of her room.

As she allowed herself to be pulled up the stairs Minako looked over her shoulder at Mamoru handing Usagi the flowers and walking her to get their shoes. Sweet, tender, everything you would expect from such a bright red string of destiny. A red string that grew stronger and brighter every time Minako saw the two of them together.

It took reaching the top of the stairs and hearing the door shut before Minako came out of her stupor, and to her realization.

"Chibi-Usa! Mamoru is your father?!"

OoOoO

Outside, Mamoru and Usagi turned right out of her home and started walking towards Juuban, and the restaurant Mamoru had made reservations at. Usagi stopped and looked at her home strangely as a strangled scream seemed to come from somewhere inside.

Mamoru put his arm around her shoulders and kept the pace up. "It's just Minako-chan, probably trying to get Chibi-Usa to dye her hair purple."

For a moment, Usagi imagined her pink-haired daughter with vivid purple hair and snorted. Somehow, it was more ridiculous than however she had ended up with the pink in the first place.

As they walked, they talked softly about their summer homework-Usagi's was only getting done at Ami's insistence-finding the next Nijizuishou, The Dark Kingdom, The Black Moon, which finally led them to Chibi-Usa, and the topic they had danced around since she arrived, and more since Usagi had found herself falling in love with Mamoru.

"So, she still hasn't said anything?" Mamoru pulled Usagi closer to his side as the sun dipped further down the horizon beyond the buildings.

Usagi squirmed. Right now it was hard enough to have a seven year old child and not tell anyone about it. But knowing what she did, she still wondered what games Chibi-Usa was playing with them. She knew her father, she'd said so the very first day. But she seemed to adore Mamoru as she carefully dodged questions. Usagi didn't know if he had powers like the Senshi, or if he was just a normal human being. She was frankly afraid to find out.

She told Mamoru this, except the part about being afraid. She didn't want him to know that she was afraid that finding out the father would mean saying goodbye to this, whatever this was. This happiness, this bliss, this ease, it would never be the same with someone else. But she couldn't tell Chibi-Usa she wasn't going to even consider leaving Mamoru for the girls' father. She couldn't leave the one person who seemed to understand the weight that was on her shoulders.

Mamoru's thoughts, as they continued their walk and talk to the restaurant, were along the same path. The father, who was he, was he someone from the past life that was connected to Usagi? A Prince? It would only make sense, she was the Princess after all.

And all he did was protect her. Shouldn't the father, the Prince?, do the work to protect Sailor Moon? Why was it him and not whoever Chibi-Usa's father was.

All Mamoru could see was that one day their relationship was going to end, and it would be painful.

He loved her. He had never loved anyone in his life, that he could recall, and the reminder that he would have to leave her was by her side constantly. Her daughter, who acknowledged her mother, would certainly have also done so if they had met her father, too.

For now, he supposed, Chibi-Usa must know him in the future, too, and maybe even knew that he dated her mother in the past and was just letting things play out as they were originally supposed to. But if he knew anything about physics, and he knew quite a bit, it was that Chibi-Usa's mere arrival had altered the future.

That much was apparent to him, Ami, and Michiru at least. The three of them had several long talks about how they were possibly going to manage these battles, and the one Michiru was predicting may be nine months out, but it was still looming. So far the best advice they had to go on was Sailor Pluto's cryptic messages. That things would fall into place, somehow, because Time would fix itself.

At least that was the theory.

"Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru looked down at the young woman on his arm and he smiled at her in reassurance. He had grown quiet as they walked. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips before tilting his head forward. "It's not much further, Usako."

"I think I know where we're going." Usagi was smiling again as they kept their pace and reached a small, but fairly well known, Italian restaurant. Reservations took weeks, sometimes months, she'd been twice before. Once with her family for a banquet for her father's magazine, and on hers' and Mamoru's official second date. He had pulled strings then, and she had a feeling he did the same thing to catch up with her forgotten birthday.

"Mademoiselle," he said with barely an accent as he opened the first door for her, and she giggled, having no idea what he had just said, or that it was even the wrong language for where they were. She entered and the second door swung open as a hostess held the door open for both of them, a smile plastered on her face.

"Thank you," Mamoru and Usagi both mumbled as they made their way into the dimly lit atmosphere.

False candled flickered every few feet along the walls, giving the perfect romantic ambience touch with real candles on all the tables, wax carefully dripping down the side of each long stick. The red table cloths stood out, but also didn't stain as easily when someone dropped a meatball. Each chair was high backed and elegantly carved in a medium-brown stain that gleamed in the dimness.

Usagi had seen it before, but the romance took her breath away, almost as much as the thornless flowers he had presented to her at home, which she just realized she had left sitting in the living room without water.

 _Whoops. Well, it's not like they're going to die in the next month anyway._

The hostess grabbed two menu's, her eyes never leaving Mamoru's face, and she sweetly asked, "Reservation name please?"

"Chiba, for two," Mamoru answered firmly, ignoring the attention which caused the girl's shoulders to slump a little.

Slumped shouldered, but still with the smile on her face, the hostess led them to their table, which per the instructions written on his reservation told her to put them in the corner, as far from the kitchen as possible, and that for the first half hour they be left completely alone except to take their drink orders. The note also indicated something about large tips and more business from a prestigious family name.

Mamoru had planned to spend as much time as he could with his Usako, he wasn't going to let the waitstaff take up too much of it. And knowing Usagi, if he kept her engaged in the right conversation, she wouldn't notice he was stretching the date for as long as possible.

He had extra time, he was going to use it.

And then he was going to question Minako's ethics. But not until later.

OoOoO

Minako was pacing Chibi-Usa's room, panicking at the sudden, instant, incredibly obvious realization that she had just come to. Luna approved of Mamoru only because Sailor Pluto said he was important and would protect Usagi. Artemis argeed with Luna, and often told Minako she shouldn't support the relationship as much as she did since it would just mean heart break for Mamoru down the road.

"Oh, shut up. Let them be happy now," she had told him. And Rei and Ami when they had attempted to butt in and add that they thought it might be a conflict of interest. Mako had always backed Minako, but she suspected that was because of all the romance manga she read more than if she thought Mamoru was a threat.

Sailor Jupiter did not think Mamoru, or Tuxedo Mask, were threats.

Michiru stayed out of it, claiming she was Switzerland, with the concept on neutrality then having to be explained to several of the Senshi and Chibi-Usa, who was around for at least one argument and kept quiet on the subject.

Now Minako knew why.

"Because her parents were dating the entire time!"

"Shhhh!" Chibi-Usa hissed. "Do you want Luna to hear?" Her large cinnamon eyes were brimming with tears and she looked frightened.

"Luna would stop trying to break them up if she knew Mamoru-san was your father!" Minako aruged, but kept her voice down. "Let me tell them. Let me let Ami-chan run a DNA test, like she did when you appeared! We never thought to match the DNA to Mamoru, I mean, everyone kept saying it was a school crush and man did I prove them wrong!"

Now Chibi-Usa looked annoyed and tapped her foot, her hair still down. "Minako-chan, didn't you listen to Puu at all?"

"Puu?" Minako blinked and then smiled. "Oh, Sailor Pluto! Yeah, of course I did. We've gone over everything she said a million times by now, thank you Ami-chan for having a perfect memory."

"Yeah, but just what she wanted you to do. She wanted me to blend in and not get involved. I was told by Sailor Mercury, in the future, that you're not supposed to say or do anything to try and make future events happen because then they might not! You could change your entire future." Chibi-Usa didn't realize she was almost yelling. "I could not be born!"

She stopped and then covered her mouth, realizing she was being loud now. Tears brimmed her eyes again and she sniffed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just...I don't want to change it. Things are going fine, so I'm fine."

"Oh, Chibi-Usa," Minako whispered, coming to her second profound realization in five minutes. "I can see the tie of fate that binds them. It's strong. It's so strong that nothing is ever going to be able to break it, not even if Kenji-san doesn't like Mamoru-san. Not even if the moon fell out of the sky. Not even if Mamoru-san danced like a chicken-"

"I get it, Minako-chan," Chibi-Usa sniffed, but smiled.

"You should know them both well, Chibi-Usa, they're your parents. And would your parents ever leave each other?"

"No way!"

"See? Being younger only changes their age, not who they are. Heck, from what I've seen being a princess hasn't changed Usagi-chan at all. She's still late to everything." Minako smiled and stepped forward, hugging the younger girl tightly. "Don't worry," she let go. "I guess I understand why we probably shouldn't tell anyone for right now, if it'll make you feel better." Chibi-Usa perked up and Minako put up her finger. "But if it becomes important and someone needs to know, I'm reserving the right to tell Luna and Artemis."

"Only if it's really important. Like, really, really important."

"Promise. Now, be honest, what did you think of how Usagi-chan looked?"

"Papa always gets that look in his eye when he sees Mama in a new outfit."

OoOoO

Berthier was crying.

There was nothing of her younger sister to bury, nothing but ashes which scattered in the wind after Sailor Mars had burned her to dust.

Petz stalked the mirror room going from one to the next, looking for something in each and finding nothing.

Surely one of them would show the true identities of the Senshi. Surely one of them would be able to tell her where to get her vengeance, where to start.

Calaveras stood, staring out across the vast expanse of Tokyo.

Somewhere, in this shithole, were the Senshi, and the Rabbit. If she could get the Rabbit, they could leave. Let the Dark Kingdom fight with the Senshi in this time, they had their own era to be concerned about.

Rubeus ignored all three of them in their mourning and angry states. He had to keep the alliance together, but Prince Diamond had seen Koan's fate and was now demanding answers of the Shitennou from the Dark Kingdom, they were in an alliance after all. Zoisite should have been dead, he was powerless and useless, Koan had strength. Koan had been someone.

Now he was pushed to the sidelines, not even allowed in the throne room of the Dark Kingdom while they decided what they were going to do with these new powered-up Sailor Senshi.

Without him.

Wasn't this his mission?

He walked to a mirror that wasn't currently in use by Petz and waved his hand in front of it angrily. The Dark Kingdom had a lot of magic built up to protect it, but it was so close to their negative energy that he could easily penetrate it to see what was happening right now in the throne room.

Sure enough both Kunzite and that asshole Zoisite were kneeling on the ground before both Queen Beryl and Prince Diamond, who was on her right, sneering, his white hair gleaming in the darkness.

The sisters noticed the change in atmosphere around Rubeus and saw him watching, each creeping up behind him to join in, but not wanting to be subject to his wrath if they got too close.

"Zoisite," they could hear as though they were there and Bertheir's tears dried, "I demand an explanation," Prince Diamond started before the Queen could. "What happened to Koan?"

Queen Beryl took over, her anger clear to see as well. "Explain yourself, Zoisite. Koan was one of our allies, how did she die? How did you live?"

"Oh, this should be beautiful," Petz cackled. "Prince Diamond is going to turn him into a pile of dirt."

"Shh," Berthier hissed. "We aren't invisible."

Zoisite, for his part, stayed on the ground, his fist to his chest, and looked up. First he looked Queen Beryl in the eyes, acknowledging her, then he turned his attention to Prince Diamond and, as he spoke first and this was about his subordinate, Zoisite addressed him.

"Prince Diamond, I cannot say what happened to Koan. We separated when she tried to retrieve the so-called Rabbit who was with the Nijizuishou carrier."

"A crystal you lost, am I right, Zoisite?" Queen Beryl sneered.

The three sister cackled together at him being called out and then watched, with growing anticipation, as he tried to cover for himself.

Zoisite flinched and then prostrated himself further to the ground. "I beg your forgiveness, My Queen. The Sailor Senshi seem to have taken to watching this particular place, Hikawa Jinja, since Jadeite attacked it. They knew us and hid."

Prince Diamond leaned forward, his eyes clouded and reserved. "Did every Senshi show up?"

"No, Prince Diamond. All I know is that one of the girls who was at the Jinja took the Rabbit and ran, Koan followed her, Sailor Mars followed Koan. I stayed to get the Nijizuishou and ensure the survival of our glorious kingdom."

"Which we know won't be happening," Calaveras mumbled.

"You were thwarted."

Queen Beryl didn't ask, she rose and took a few steps forward, her dress clinging to her and moving like liquid as she came closer to her Shitennou, still prostrated beside his superior.

"You were thwarted by Sailor Mercury, the one who can't even manage to attack, Zoisite!" She kicked him in the stomach, but he held his stance, his forehead still on the ground as she continued, punctuating a word occasionally with a kick. "She has no power! You, and Nephrite, and Jadeite have all assured me that taking her on would be no harder than our lowest level youma!"

Prince Diamond didn't move as Queen Beryl administered her tongue lashing and even ripped the side of her dress when she kicked too hard. Petz had to admire her, in a way. She was grotesque, selling her soul to Metalia in order to gain what little power she did have. If it wasn't for their ability to find the Ginzuishou she knew Prince Diamond would destroy them all, bury each youma, a bastardization attempt at creating intelligent life from the dredges of darkness.

Droids were a much better option and often took years to perfect. But for now, it served their purpose to let the 'queen' deal with her minions as she saw fit. But as she continued to beat Zoisite, Diamond seemed to realize this wasn't going to get them answers.

"Your Majesty, why don't you let him speak of his failure instead of continuing to kick so dangerously close to his manhood?"

Queen Beryl laughed, cruelly, and did as he suggested, standing before her throne instead of sitting as she waited for Zoisite to recover.

"Oh," said Calaveres as she watched him slowly sit up, "she must have got him with her heel. I admire her style."

"Indeed," Rubeus muttered as Zoiste began to talk again.

"I, Your Majesties, I did not see her die. Koan chased Sailor Mars and I only know she didn't return."

"How could someone as weak as Sailor Mars kill someone stronger than _you?"_ Prince Diamond demanded.

Zoisite steeled his face, which caused Berthier to coo and laugh. He went to speak but Kunzite cut him off.

"When Sailor Mercury attacked him, she froze his body in place. In the months we've been fighting she has never shown that power. I believe, with what we've been told by our allies, that she is powering up in response to the Black Moon's increased threat."

"So you think they're going to all get stronger? That Sailor Mars got stronger somehow?"

"You said they're stronger where you come from, Prince Diamond. Perhaps you being here is making them evolve," Kunzite continued, his voice neutral and calm. "If this was a natural progression in your history, it's possible."

Prince Diamond frowned. It was more than possible. And that other one, Neptune, she wasn't supposed to fight with the Senshi for years, she certainly wasn't present when the Dark Kingdom was defeated in his timeline. And in the future she and the other Outer Senshi, were currently fighting his forces to get back to Earth and help restore it.

The other Outer Senshi. They could really become a problem. And there was an air of mystery around Sailor Saturn, with very few knowing exactly what her role was beyond diplomacy. She had never shown her powers off, and was only using defensive ones in the future, but was at the same time rumored to be second in power only to the legendary Sailor Moon. She was a wild card, and even her defensive strength was beyond comprehension.

"It's entirely possible," Prince Diamond finally admitted.

"Damn it," Rubeus hissed from his place in the space ship.

"That means you, Zoisite and Kunzite, and your youma, Queen Beryl, are going to be useless against the Senshi if they begin to reach their peak power." Prince Diamond chuckled darkly. "And if they find Serenity, you'll be in even more trouble."

"Zoisite," Queen Beryl snapped, and the general didn't shake as he rose up to look her in the eye again. "We have one crystal. You need to find the next one before they do, it's possible they already have others."

"I would never-"

"You have admitted to finding nothing, and you were investigating strange energy readings that you never did discover the source of. Find it. We need as many of those Nijizuishou as we can, and we must awaken the Great Youma."

OoOoO

Dinner had been delicious, and Usagi had surprised Mamoru by eating at a normal pace. Oh, sure, she still ate half the menu, but she took her time and enjoyed her meals and desserts in a way that Mamoru wasn't used to, but was glad that she seemed to understand that they had time. They didn't need to rush this date. Or any date. They had until Chibi-Usa's father revealed himself, at least.

Mamoru fisted the hand that wasn't clasping Usagi's at that thought.

"Do you want to do anything else?" he asked as the last of the dishes were cleared and their after dinner mints were delivered. "We can go shopping, or go to the park? Ichi-no-hashi is usually quiet this time of night."

Day had slipped to early evening, and the restaurant was now full, not quiet like earlier, but rather bursting with long waits and people who had reservations for months in advance. It would be nice outside, maybe a little humid, but a walk in her dress would, well probably kill him to watch, but she would be comfortable.

"Mamo-chan...take me home?"

Mamoru started, but then realized she wasn't asking to go to her home. He remembered Minako's words, that Usagi wasn't expected home until the next day.

He stood and then offered her his hand to help her up. She tentatively took it and he grasped, pulling her closer and kissing her quickly, deeply, before brushing one of the long curls behind her ear. "Where ever her highness whishes to go, I will take you."

To be continued...

Use your imagination, sorry, I'm such a crappy romance writer that's all you get.


End file.
